Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has played through numerous injuries and is known for being one of the tougher quarterbacks in the NFL, but the latest is apparently too much to overcome.
Stafford has been battling a back injury, and he is not expected to play on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Stafford has fractures in his back and was not cleared by doctors.
Lions’ QB Matthew Stafford has fractured bones in his back and doctors will not let him play today vs. Bears, per source. Jeff Driskell starts for Detroit.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 10, 2019
It’s unclear how long Stafford will be out, but sitting on Sunday will snap an impressive streak of 136 consecutive games started, which dates back to the 2011 season. That was the longest active among NFL quarterbacks behind only Philip Rivers’ 217.
Stafford reportedly played through a similar injury last year that sounded just as serious, and doctors must feel he would be at risk of injuring himself further if he suited up on Sunday. The Lions are 3-4-1 and fighting to remain alive in the playoff hunt with an important game against a divisional opponent, so Stafford’s injury must be pretty bad if it’s forcing him to remain sidelined.
