Detroit Lions TE Sam LaPorta shared his thoughts about losing Ben Johnson, and his first meeting with new OC John Morton.
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta is down in Mexico this week for the NFLPA Classic Golf Tournament, and Kay Adams caught up with him for a five-minute conversation. While the interview was a lot about the tournament and friendly rivalries with tight ends like Packers’ Tucker Kraft, LaPorta did give a little insight into Detroit’s change at offensive coordinator this offseason.
The Lions lost Ben Johnson, who took the head coaching job with NFC North rival Chicago Bears. LaPorta admitted it’s a tough loss for the team.
“It hurts, of course,” LaPorta said. “You spend a lot of time with these people, invest a lot of energy and effort and hard work together. It’s mutual. You’re excited that he’s going to go run his own team and organization and have a lot on his plate. So, just very exciting times for him. But it’s exciting times for us, too, as we turn towards our new staff and have a bright future together as well.”
Note: LaPorta’s interview starts around the 26-minute mark below
That future involves new offensive coordinator John Morton, who was most recently the Broncos pass game coordinator. Morton was with the Lions back in 2022 as an offensive assistant, but that was a year before LaPorta arrived. This offseason, LaPorta said he has already had the opportunity to sit down with him for a 10-15 minute session.
“I’ve gotten to know him personally. As a coach, it’s yet to be determined. We have a great future in front of us. We’re excited to work with each other, and I can’t wait to get working with him at OTAs,” LaPorta said.
As for the vibes he got from Morton?
“Great guy. Good personality. He seems fiery—which is always exciting—and extremely competitive,” LaPorta said.
The two will get their first chance to work together during the aforementioned OTAs. The dates of those OTAs have not been publicly announced yet, but the Lions are eligible to start their offseason program beginning on April 21.
