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Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is set to start Sunday’s season finale against Minnesota even as he suffers from multiple injuries sustained in the final two months of the season, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Stafford suffered a right thumb injury against Washington on November 15, a rib injury on December 13 against Green Bay and a right ankle injury against Tampa Bay last weekend. Still, he’s managed to start every game 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 good, I want to be out there,” Stafford said Monday, two days after the ankle injury knocked him out of all but one in the 47- loss. Detroit 7 versus the Buccaneers. “Do whatever I can to try to get there by the end of the week and how to figure out how it’s going from day to day, how he’s responding to treatment, all of that.”
“But I hope I can be good enough to go and be there.”
Stafford, 32, did not train on Wednesday and was initially not supposed to train on Thursday, but ended up doing so on a limited basis. He also practiced on a limited basis on Friday and was deemed questionable for a two-team game guaranteed to end under 0.500 this season.
When asked if he felt his body needed to heal, Stafford replied, “It’s part of the offseason, isn’t it? But we’re not there yet. Part of it. offseason is letting your body heal and feel better. “
It will happen from Monday, but Stafford – who has suffered almost every injury since the start of 2011 other than a back injury last season – has made it clear he would like to play if he is physically capable.
Stafford has completed 64.2% of his passes for 3,791 yards, 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season. If he doesn’t throw an interception on Sunday, it would be his first full season to throw single-digit interceptions.
Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell refused on Thursday to rule Stafford in part because of his tenacity. Bevell has maintained throughout the last month that he had had no problem playing Stafford without a representative during the week – which happened in the team’s first game against the Vikings in Minnesota. , while he was considered close contact with a positive COVID-19 case and was isolated for the week.
Stafford was not as injured then as he is today.
“He’s as hard as he can get, hard as nails. He wants to be out there,” Bevell said Thursday. “I think, really, those two things are probably the most important. If the guy will – I always say this, I always say your mind is a powerful thing. You can do a lot if you just believe in it. wants it. There’s no doubt in my mind that it won’t make it, but obviously we’ll just keep going through the week and see how it goes. “
The week has apparently gone well enough for Stafford to play. Chase Daniel, who Bevell says would start if Stafford couldn’t play, is expected to be his main replacement, followed by David Blough.
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