DETROIT – Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford jumped into the locker room, unable to put pressure on his right foot / ankle after suffering an injury in the first quarter against Tampa Bay on Saturday.
He was later discarded.
Stafford, who was already battling rib and right thumb injuries, injured his right ankle in his first set when he collided with Tampa linebacker Devin White.
Coaches surrounded Stafford on the sidelines after he left the field. After a new recording, Stafford got up and tried to put the weight on his ankle. He sat down and moments later he got up again and jumped about 30 meters to the entrance to the Detroit locker room.
Stafford was excluded from the game during the break. He completed 2 of 3 17-yard passes before leaving the game.
Chase Daniel, with whom the Lions signed off-season after Stafford lost the last eight games of last season, stepped in for Stafford. Lions also have David Blough active as a defender. The Lions, with Daniel as a defender, lost 34-0 to Tampa Bay at halftime.
Lions center Joe Dahl is also injured.
This was already a day when Detroit was without interim head coach Darrell Bevell, defensive coordinator Cory Undlin and three position coaches due to close contact regulations for COVID-19. The Lions also lack two starting strikers – Frank Ragnow and Tyrell Crosby – and their main recipient, Kenny Golladay, in the attack.