Lions Still Want LaPorta and Branch Long-Term, Says Brad Holmes
GM Brad Holmes wants to keep the TE and DB in Detroit. LaPorta's been cleared since before camp — worth a look at TE26 in our 2025 rank.
Fully healthy, cheap price tag, and Detroit's offense is loaded.
- LaPorta cleared before camp after 2025 back injury
- 9 games in 2025: 40 rec, 489 yds, 3 TD (107 PPR)
- Branch on PUP, out at least first 4 games
- Detroit ranks TE26 for LaPorta in our 2025 board
- Lions have topped $1B in extension value since 2021
Detroit GM Brad Holmes made it clear Wednesday that the front office wants to keep tight end Sam LaPorta and safety Brian Branch in the fold long-term, saying the plans for both haven't changed even as a couple of factors still need sorting out. It's the latest signal from a regime that's signed nine of its own draft picks to multi-year deals since 2021 and pushed past $1 billion in total extension value across names like Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell and Aidan Hutchinson.
For fantasy purposes, the health note buried in Holmes' comments matters more than the contract talk. LaPorta's 2025 season ended early because of a back injury — he played just nine games, finishing with 40 catches for 489 yards and 3 touchdowns (107 PPR points). Branch's year ended too, an Achilles issue that has him on the reserve/PUP list and out for at least the first four games of 2026.
The important part: LaPorta was fully cleared before training camp. That's not a maybe — he's healthy and ramping into a full season, which is a completely different starting point than most bounce-back tight ends you'll be sifting through in the middle rounds.
Why the Detroit Context Helps
This is still one of the most fantasy-friendly offenses in football. Goff threw for 4,564 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2025 (303 PPR points, QB10 in our rank). St. Brown remains a target monster — 117 catches, 1,401 yards, 11 TD last season for 324 PPR points, good for WR3 overall in our board. Jameson Williams added 1,117 yards and 7 scores. LaPorta doesn't need a huge target share to hit value when the passing volume is this good.
The Fantasy Fallout
LaPorta lands at TE26 (#185 overall) in our 2025 rank, which reflects a nine-game sample and the back injury more than his true ceiling. That's the buy-low window. When healthy through the back half of last season, his last five games ran +2.8 fantasy points above his own average — a real form uptick right before the injury cut things off.
The move: draft LaPorta as a high-upside TE2 and be happy if he slides. A cleared back, a top-tier quarterback, and a proven rookie-year floor make him one of the better mid-round tight end bets on the board. Branch isn't a fantasy factor unless you're in an IDP league — stash-and-wait there given the four-game minimum absence.
