The Detroit Lions announced that quarterback Matthew Stafford missed practice Wednesday and has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Stafford is considered a “high-risk, close contact” of a non-team member who tested positive for COVID-19. Stafford’s last contact with the individual was Monday, which means he would be eligible to come off the reserve/COVID-19 list Sunday and play against the Minnesota Vikings, pending five straight days of negative tests for him. This is Stafford’s second stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Stafford had a false positive test in August, part of the reason the NFL changed its protocols on testing at the time.
Stafford joins linebacker Jarrad Davis on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Davis was placed on the list Tuesday. The two cases, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, are not related. The Lions have not had a player on the list since the beginning of training camp in August, when Detroit had at least seven players on the list.
With Stafford not at practice, the Lions used backup quarterbacks Chase Daniel and David Blough. Stafford, 32, has completed 61.4% of his passes this season for 1,916 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions.
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