Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is expected to start Sunday’s season final against Minnesota, even as he deals with multiple injuries sustained in the last two months of the season, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Stafford suffered a right thumb injury against Washington on November 15, a rib injury on December 13 against Green Bay and an injury to his right ankle against Tampa Bay last weekend. Still, he managed to start all games for the 5-10 Lions this season – and will likely do so again against the Vikings (6-9).
“If the rest of me, if I’m fine, I want to be out there,” said Stafford on Monday, two days after his ankle injury took him out of everything except one of Detroit’s 47-7 defeats for the Buccaneers. “I do everything I can to try to get there at the end of the week and sort of find out what the day-to-day is like, how to respond to treatment, all of that.
“But I hope I can get well enough to go and be outside.”
Stafford, 32, did not train on Wednesday and was initially not expected to train on Thursday, but ended up doing so to a limited extent. He also trained to a limited extent on Friday and was considered questionable by a game between two teams that would end below 0.500 this season.
When asked if he felt his body needed to be healed, Stafford said, “This is part of what the off season is, right? But we are not there yet. Part of the off season is to let your body heal and feel better.”
That will happen from Monday, but Stafford – who has had almost all injuries since the beginning of 2011, except for a back injury last season – made it clear that he would like to play if he was physically fit.
Stafford completed 64.2% of his passes for 3,791 yards, 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season. If he doesn’t launch an interception on Sunday, it would be his first entire season launching single-digit interceptions.
On Thursday, Lions interim coach Darrell Bevell refused to rule out Stafford in part because of his toughness. Bevell maintained over the past month that he had no problem playing Stafford without any representatives during the week – something that happened in the team’s first game against the Vikings in Minnesota, when he was considered a close contact in a positive COVID-19 case and was isolated during the week.
Stafford was not as hurt as he is now.
“He’s as strong as he looks, tough as nails. He wants to be there,” said Bevell on Thursday. “I think, really, those two things are probably the most important. If the guy wants to – I always say that, I always say that his mind is a powerful thing. You can do a lot if you just believe it. The guy wants it. I have no doubt that he will not make it happen, but obviously, we will continue to spend the week and see how it goes. “
The week apparently went well enough for Stafford to play. Chase Daniel, who Bevell said would start if Stafford couldn’t play, should be his main reserve, followed by David Blough.