Stafford placed on the Reserve/ COVID-19 list
DETROIT » Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, the second straight day the team gave a player the designation.
The Lions announced Stafford’s status on Wednesday after finishing practice. Earlier in the day, Matt Patricia said there was no requirement to shut down the team’s training facility. Some NFL teams have closed their training centers after players and or staff
members tested positive for COVID-19.
“There’s no need for any of that, as far as our situation,” Patricia said a couple hours before leading practice. “I can’t speak to the future.
“Everybody across the country, especially in Michigan right now, with the cases going up, really no one knows what the next day is going to look like. We just
have to do the best we can to stay safe.”
The Lions put linebacker Jarrad Davis on the list Tuesday.
Detroit (3-4) plays at Minnesota (2-5) on Sunday, and Stafford’s status is unknown.
Stafford’s backups are Chase Daniel and David Blough. The 34-yearold Daniel has started five games in his career. Blough started five games last year with the Lions after they acquired the undrafted rookie from the Cleveland Browns.
Three months ago, the Lions removed Stafford from
the COVID-19 list after saying he received a false positive test result. The news received a lot of attention due to his stature in the league and because his wife, Kelly, had surgery last year to remove a brain tumor.
Kelly Stafford had plenty to say on her Instagram page in August after the false positive test, lashing out at the league.
Detroit drafted Stafford No. 1 overall in 2009. He ranks No. 18 in NFL history with nearly 43,000 yards and is No. 18 with 269 touchdowns in his career.