Detroit Lions rookie tight end Sam LaPorta may have been a casualty of coach Dan Campbell’s decision to play all his starters in hopes of his team making a modest improvement in its playoff position.

LaPorta limped off the field after appearing to hurt his left knee against Minnesota on Sunday and was later taken toward the locker room on a cart.

“It’s not as bad as it looked, but it’s not good news,” Campbell said after his team closed the regular season with a 30-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

“We’ll know more (Monday). I know it looked awful.

The Lions secured the No. 3 seed in the NFC by winning a division title for the first time in three decades.

They needed Dallas to lose later Sunday at Washington to move into the No. 2 spot, but the Cowboys didn’t cooperate, breezing past the last-place Commanders 38-10.

Detroit will host the Los Angeles Rams and former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford in the wild-card round of the playoffs next Sunday night.

Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell was determined to close the regular season with a win, taking the risk of getting players hurt in hopes of moving from the No. 3 to the No. 2 seed in the NFC and potentially hosting two or more playoff games.

Detroit won a franchise record-tying 12th game, beating Minnesota, but lost standout rookie tight end Sam LaPorta to a potentially serious knee injury.

LaPorta had a 2-yard touchdown catch midway through the first quarter and later limped off the field with a knee injury as the Lions went on to beat the Vikings 30-20 on Sunday.

It was an ominous development for the NFC champions a week before the postseason.