Matthew Stafford will miss his second consecutive game on Sunday, as the Detroit Lions quarterback recovers from a back injury. He may miss more time, however. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Doctors recently told Stafford that the fractured bones in his back are a six-week injury.
Per Schefter, the six-week diagnosis does not mean he will miss six weeks of NFL action. However, it does gives us a glimpse of the severity of the injury, which caused the team to shut him down in a loss versus the Chicago Bears and Sunday's matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
The Lions are unsure of when Stafford will return. It could be next week; it could also be four weeks from now. What they are—likely—sure of is that rushing him back should not be in their best interests. Re-aggravating a back injury could be more severe than missing one season; it could alter his career.
Stafford played with broken bones in his back in 2018. His ability to endure the painful injury is a testament to his toughness. Before missing Week 10, he had started 136 games in a row, good for the sixth-longest streak for a quarterback in NFL history.
On the year, Stafford has completed 64.3% of his passes for 2,499 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. He was on pace for yet another, under the radar, outstanding season in Detroit.
Backup Jeff Driskel will get the start with Stafford out. He was unable to will the Lions to victory in Week 10. In 2018, with the Cincinnati Bengals, he went 1-4 as a starter.
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