False positive: Stafford taken off COVID list

The Lions removed quarterback Matthew Stafford from the COVID injured reserve list Tuesday, saying he received a false positive test result — which drew the ire of Stafford’s wife toward the NFL.

The list was created for players who either test positive for COVID-19 or have been in close contact with an infected person. Stafford was listed on it Saturday, but the team said Tuesday his testing sequence for the pre-entry period was negative, negative, false positive, then three more negatives.

Stafford’s wife, Kelly, had surgery last year to remove a brain tumor. She noted on Instagram that her children are not allowed back at school and people close to the Staffords have had to get tested to return to work — even after the false positive was known.

“I don’t blame these scenarios on any of the people directly involved . . . but I do blame the @NFL,” she wrote. “These are people’s lives and livelihoods that are in those results in THEIR test sites.”

Deadline approaching for opt-outs

Players who decide to opt out of the coming season must do so by Thursday afternoon, a person familiar with the agreement between the league and players said. There also are opt-out provisions for players who experience emergency or extenuating circumstances during the season due to the coronavirus, the person said. Any player who opts out and has been diagnosed with a high-risk condition will receive a $350,000 stipend for 2020, with his contract paused. Players in the voluntary opt-out category will get $150,000 as an advance on a contract.

Another person with direct knowledge of the agreement said that relief in the 2020 salary cap is being provided to the 32 teams.

More than 40 players around the NFL have already chosen to opt out for the season.

This and that

The trade Monday that sent defensive tackle P.J. Hall from the Raiders to the Vikings for a 2021 conditional draft pick was negated after Hall failed a physical with the Vikings. The Raiders then waived Hall, a second-round draft pick in 2018.

† The Giants improved their pass rush by re-signing linebacker Markus Golden, their leader in sacks last season.