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Chiefs trade idea lands $9 million Lions record-setting TE to help Patrick Mahomes
TL;DR
The Kansas City Chiefs are considering a trade with the Detroit Lions to acquire record-setting tight end Sam LaPorta, who set a postseason receiving record for rookie TEs. This potential deal would involve swapping first-round picks and sending a conditional fourth-round pick to Detroit.
Chiefs trade idea lands $9 million Lions record-setting TE to help Patrick Mahomes originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
While it’s pivotal for NFL franchises to focus on the present, they must also plan for the foreseeable future by making moves that would put them in good shape for years to come.
In a recent mock trade crafted by Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs would do just that by swapping first-round picks with the Detroit Lions and sending a 2027 conditional fourth-round pick to Detroit for a record-setting tight end (he set the rookie TE postseason receiving record in 2023 with 176 yards).
“Yes, the Chiefs just re-signed Travis Kelce, who is still an effective player and one of Patrick Mahomes’ favorite receivers,” Vacchiano wrote Friday. “But Kelce is 36, not what he once was, and could be in the last season of his Hall of Fame career.”
“LaPorta is coming off back surgery, heading into the last year of his contract, and may get squeezed out in Detroit, where the Lions have a lot of young players to sign. It would probably cost the Chiefs a second-round pick. As an alternative, they could consider a package that involves swapping first-rounders instead.”
Adding LaPorta to the equation would provide Mahomes with much-needed comfort from a quarterback-tight end connection standpoint. As Vacchiano noted, Kelce, who’s been Mahomes’ security blanket for nearly a decade, won’t be in the NFL forever, making it necessary for Kansas City to identify a high-level replacement for the future Hall of Famer sooner rather than later.
LaPorta undoubtedly fits the bill, as he understands the importance of being an elite YAC weapon, using his underrated elusiveness and route-running to give Jared Goff a clear passing target, routinely makes challenging catches in traffic, and can block with the best of them.
The Iowa product has recorded 186 receptions, 2,104 receiving yards, and 20 touchdowns in 42 total games with the Lions. Simply put, LaPorta would be a big-time addition to a Chiefs squad that will always have lofty expectations as long as Mahomes is the franchise’s signal caller.
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Q&A
What is the proposed trade between the Chiefs and Lions involving Sam LaPorta?
The proposed trade involves the Chiefs swapping first-round picks with the Lions and sending a conditional fourth-round pick to acquire tight end Sam LaPorta.
Why might the Chiefs trade for tight end Sam LaPorta?
The Chiefs may trade for LaPorta to bolster their tight end position as Travis Kelce approaches the end of his career, and LaPorta is seen as a promising young talent.
What record did Sam LaPorta set during the 2023 postseason?
Sam LaPorta set the rookie tight end postseason receiving record in 2023 with 176 yards.