Episode
Daily DLP: Sam Laporta Contract Comp Update - Detroit Lions Podcast
- Podcast
- The Detroit Lions Podcast
- Published
- Jun 24, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1090
- Processing state
not_requested
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-detroit-lions-podcast-1064987/episodes/daily-dlp-sam-laporta-contract-comp-update-detroit-lions-podcast/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-detroit-lions-podcast-1064987/daily-dlp-sam-laporta-contract-comp-update-detroit-lions-podcast.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
Pitts sets the market Detroit must face The Atlanta Falcons just changed the tight end economy. They signed Kyle Pitts to a three-year, $54 million extension with $36 million guaranteed. It is the richest three-year deal ever for an NFL tight end. That number immediately matters to the Detroit Lions and Sam LaPorta. Recent comps drive negotiations. The Detroit Lions Podcast digs into what this means. By annual average value, George Kittle and McBride sit at the top tier. Pitts now lands at $16 million per year. The next band is where Detroit will hunt comps for LaPorta: Isaiah Likely at three years and $40 million with $26 million guaranteed, Mark Andrews at roughly $13.9 million per year, Dalton Schultz at $12.6 million, and Cole Kmet at $12.5 million. As much as Detroit likes LaPorta, he has been roughly in that neighborhood with Kmet. Will he take that number to stay in Detroit? Expect him to aim higher after the Pitts deal. Usage and value in Detroit’s offense Context matters. McBride earned heavy usage in Drew Petzing’s system in Arizona. That led many to assume a similar spike for LaPorta under Petzing in Detroit. It could happen, but the situations are different. McBride was the best player on that offense. In Detroit, LaPorta is not even the third-best offensive piece. Jahmyr Gibbs and Penei Sewell are central pillars. Jameson Williams offers higher peak plays even if the week-to-week is still building. That distribution of talent can cap volume and, in turn, price. LaPorta brings real value beyond catches. His blocking stacks up well, better than Pitts in this discussion. Pitts also aligns outside as a receiver often, while LaPorta plays a more traditional tight end role. Those distinctions will surface in negotiations as both sides frame what they are paying…