The Lions tight end walked back some of his podcast comments but admitted he still feels underappreciated amid stalled extension talks.
Sam LaPorta spent Friday, Oct. 23, in Allen Park cleaning up a mess he made on a podcast earlier in the week. The Lions tight end said he doesn't regret going on "Pardon My Take" to discuss his contract situation, but he wanted to make clear he still wants a long-term deal to stay in Detroit.
"I feel bad if there was any sort of distraction to the team, or my teammates, or the coaches," LaPorta said, adding that he thinks there was "a bit of a misconception" about his intentions. He said his teammates love, respect and support him, and that they want to see him "be happy and compensated."
On the podcast, LaPorta had been more pointed, saying it "sucks" that a new deal hasn't come together as he plays out the final year of his rookie contract. He also said it's disappointing to take on injury risk every week while feeling like the team isn't "showing the love," referencing the herniated disc and microdiscectomy surgery that ended his last season early. LaPorta is set to become a free agent after this season, and the Lions could still use the franchise tag on him. Coach Dan Campbell said the comments haven't been a distraction for the team.