Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford made a private flight to Minnesota and is expected to start Sunday against the Vikings despite spending the entire week in solitude and unable to practice after making contact with someone associated with the team that tested positive for COVID-19.
However, that doesn’t mean Stafford didn’t get any rips.
According to sources, Stafford receives the Lions’ practice script every morning and attends virtually every meeting. He was able to watch the practice almost live, thanks to a system that logs the video as it happens in each play.
Detroit has a video board that practices as it happens and players on the field can immediately see their representative. Stafford also had access to it.
Then, during the Lions’ usual blitz pickup exercise on Friday, Stafford’s computer was built up to large concert-style PA speakers to lead the exercise. Through the zoom, still simulating and zooming in for a variety of different gamblers, Stafford called a defense and investigation into the defense that was provided, and the rest of the offense was reportedly communicated. As if Stafford were in the indoor practice facility with them.
Does it get more than 2020?
Stafford had “high-risk” contact with someone close to his family on Monday. Under the latest NFL-NFLPA protocols, he had to be separated for five days. That means he has to travel with the Lions on Saturday or his latest PCR. He was not allowed to join the team until the test result came back from the lab on Sunday morning.
Instead, the officially activated Stafford-Private plane took off from the list of reserves / COVID-19 on Saturday afternoon to Minnesota. He was forced to stay in a different area of the team hotel, and had no conversation with anyone on the team.
Lions Anyway, Covid-19 is in intensive protocol, so all meetings have been virtual. He is fully engaged mentally, not only physically able to do it.
Backups Chase Daniel and David Blue introduced real, real-life practice during the week. But, until his latest test returns negative Sunday morning, he will be Stafford under the center of the big NFC North game against the Vikings.
