Yahoo Lifestyle Matthew Stafford appears on Lions' injury report with hip issue
The Detroit Lions face a big test on Sunday against the 3-0 Kansas City Chiefs, and they may have to do it with their quarterback dealing with an injury. Matthew Stafford surprisingly showed up on the team’s injury report Friday with a hip issue.
According to ESPN, Stafford’s back is actually what is ailing him, and it has been an ongoing issue. The team reportedly expects Stafford to be able to play on Sunday, though he was limited in practice Friday.
People I've talked to say they'd be shocked if Matthew Stafford didn't start on Sunday. He tweaked the hip but it's not expected to impact his availability against KC.
— kyle meinke (@kmeinke) September 27, 2019
The Lions have two other quarterbacks on the roster: Jeff Driskel, a sixth-round pick in 2016 who just joined the team this month, and rookie David Blough.
Stafford might face criticism for his on-field performance, but his longevity can’t be questioned. He has been among the NFL’s iron men at the quarterback position since he entered the league. He has started 131 consecutive games for Detroit. Only the Chargers’ Philip Rivers (211 starts) and the Falcons’ Matt Ryan (150 starts) have more consecutive starts under their belt.
Stafford has not missed a game starting with the 2011 season.
Stafford has played through injury
The 31-year-old has dealt with injury issues in the past, but he has played through them. His dealt with a back injury all of last season and tore ligaments on his throwing hand in 2016. That didn’t stop Stafford from playing.
Stafford has led the Lions to a 2-0-1 start to the season and has been a vocal leader.
I love the Matthew Stafford we've seen so far this season. Yelling at his coaches on sideline and demanding more out of his teammates. The pregame "Us against the f****ng world" speeches are awesome too. He's leading both vocally and by example. Been fantastic.
— Mike Sullivan (@MikeSullivan) September 26, 2019
Obviously, not having their franchise quarterback at 100 percent will diminish the Lions’ chances against an undefeated Chiefs team. But odds are, Stafford will play and give his team a chance.
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