Detroit
📸: Gregory Shamus | Getty Images

So apparently a broken back wasn’t enough to keep Lions QB Matthew Stafford on the sidelines in 2018.

The revelation regarding the injury was made by DetroitLions.com’s Mike O’Hara during a podcast in which he stated that the injury was likely suffered in Week 13 against the Rams.

Via Lions Wire:

The exchange between O’Hara and Brown:

O’Hara: “He is durable, but he does play with injuries. Turns out he had a broken back last year. Broken bones in his back.”

Brown interrupts: “Were you supposed to say that?”

O’Hara after a pause: “It’s been reported.”

Brown, laughing: “It’s been reported? I didn’t see that – Did you put that report out?”

O’Hara: “Just now. No, I read that. Word gets out in the National Football League.”

Perhaps this puts a little more perspective into those final four games that Stafford played in after Week 13 in which the quarterback threw for just  691 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions. In any sense though rag on Stafford all you want too, it’s what comes with the territory of being an NF QB. However if there’s one thing you can’t question about the Lions signal caller it’s his toughness.

I mean a fucking broken back with that kind of offensive line last season? Stafford is lucky he isn’t in a wheelchair right now.