The Iowa Hawkeyes legend is having an NFL season to forget

Last season, Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta was one of the most impressive pass catchers in the NFL. The Iowa Hawkeyes product hauled in 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns during his rookie campaign, making a Pro Bowl appearance.

That type of production for a first-year tight end is almost unheard of, so it looked like LaPorta was poised to establish himself as one of the most dominant weapons in the NFL.

Fast forward to its second season and that has hardly been the case.

While the Lions have been great as a collective unit, LaPorta has been underwhelming, catching just 28 passes for 385 yards and three scores in 10 games.

Yes, the 23-year-old has been beat up, but this is very lackluster production for a player who was so outstanding in Year 1.

Most recently, LaPorta logged just three catches for 19 yards in Detroit’s win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. He’s accumulated just eight tackles over his last three contests, and he’s posted five receptions just once all season.

To be fair, LaPorta plays in a loaded Lions offense that also includes wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams in the Air Raid.

Nevertheless, most would have expected a much more effective campaign from LaPorta, who put together a pair of very impressive seasons at Iowa.

LaPorta spent four years with the Hawkeyes and collected 153 receptions for 1,786 yards and five touchdowns.

We’ll see if the former second-round pick can elevate his level of play for Detroit as the regular season draws to a close.