The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lions’ Stafford didn’t give much thought to opting out
DETROIT — Matthew Stafford says he didn’t give much thought to opting out of this coming season.
It would have been understandable if he’d considered it.
“I think like everybody, you hear it and you talk with your spouse and your family about it. I never gave it serious, you know, thought,” the former University of Georgia star said Tuesday. “I want to play football. I want to be out here. I have a supporting wife and family that know I love doing what I do and know it’s important to me, so they were right on board.”
Stafford and his family have dealt with their share of stress over the past couple of years. His wife had surgery last year to remove a brain tumor. Then Stafford went through injuries that halted his 2019 season.
His status was momentarily uncertain again recently when he was put on the reserve/COVID-19 list Aug. 1. He was removed three days later, with the Lions saying it was a false positive.
Stafford’s wife Kelly expressed her frustration on Instagram, suggesting that information such as that shouldn’t be released until it’s absolutely certain the person has COVID-19. Shortly after that, the NFL’s chief medical officer said the league was establishing a new protocol for positive tests.
“It’s totally unknown times for all of us. The league, the players, coaches, the organization as a whole,” Stafford said. “Everything is new and it’s unknown. I know everybody’s doing the best that they possibly can.”
It’s hard to blame Stafford and his family for being a little on edge. After Kelly Stafford’s surgery in April 2019, Matthew Stafford’s injuries seemed trivial by comparison, but it was a tough season for the quarterback, who dealt with back and hip problems and missed the final eight games.
Stafford had been enjoying a fine season before the injuries caught up with him. He ended up with a career-best passer rating of 106 in the eight games he did play. When he was finally sidelined, it was the first time he’d missed any game since the 2010 season.
“Obviously last year with Matthew didn’t go the way we wanted it to go,” coach Matt Patricia said recently. “Certainly his drive, his competitiveness, I knew he’d be right back at it as soon as he could.”
So Stafford feels healthy, and this latest bit of drama with his positive test is behind him. It was an episode that underscored the potential worries that can come up as the NFL tries to play through the virus.
Stafford is trying to keep his situation in perspective.
“It’s not lost on me that there’s plenty of people that are having a much harder time than we did,” Stafford said. “Ours was a few days that lasted and got corrected, and I know the league is going to do everything they can to correct that. But at the same time, there’s plenty of people walking out there — or not walking, they’re in hospitals — that are really fighting for their life.”