Timetable for Matthew Stafford Return From Back Injury Revealed
By Michael Luciano
The Detroit Lions saw all of their positive momentum swiftly chopped down when quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered a back injury and was ruled out against the Bears last week, as well as for the Lions' tussle with the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11.
Well, the Lions were hoping their star QB would be back on the gridiron before long, but the latest update to his status suggests that won't be the case.
According to Adam Schefter, Stafford's back injury could sideline him for up to six weeks.
Doctors told Lions’ QB Matthew Stafford that he has 6-week back injury, per sources, but that doesn’t mean he will be out that long.https://t.co/52VamPF4dA
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 17, 2019
Stafford is dealing with what's being described as tiny, non-displaced fractures in his upper thoracic spine, and while the injury could keep him out six weeks, he's not anticipated to be on the mend that long.
Backup Jeff Driskel will likely continue to start until Stafford returns from injury.
Stafford, who didn't miss a start since 2010 before this injury, was in the middle of one of the best seasons in his career. The 31-year-old was thriving under new OC Darrell Bevell's system, throwing 19 touchdowns against five picks in eight starts, all the while setting new career bests in yards per attempt and passer rating. Detroit was 3-4-1 in games he started.
Doctors recently told #Lions QB Matthew Stafford is dealing with a 6-week back injury, per @AdamSchefter. Doesn't mean he will miss 6 weeks, but the #Lions still don't know when he will return.
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) November 17, 2019
Some more bad juju from the Lions has sidelined Stafford in the middle of a career year. Hopefully his back heals up in time to lead Detroit to a late playoff push.