Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford entered Week 16 dealing with a partial ligament tear in his right thumb (his throwing hand) and a painful rib cartilage injury from two weeks prior. One series into last week’s game and Stafford suffered yet another injury, this time to his right ankle, and was unable to finish the game.
With his status for the Lions’ Week 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings up in the air, the good folks over at BetMGM have elected to hold off introducing the betting line for this game until Stafford’s status can be determined.
This has been a theme for the Lions over the last month, as Stafford has dealt with multiple injuries, and on most week’s BetMGM will set a betting line once injury declarations have been declared on Friday.
Despite the uncertainty, Stafford insists he wants to play if he is able.
“If I’m good, I want to be out there,” Stafford said. “I want to play. Doing everything I can to get there toward the end of the week, and kind of have to figure it out as we go day-to-day just to see how it responds to treatment and all that. But, hopefully, I can get it good enough to go and be out there.”
Interim coach Darrell Bevell echoed Stafford, suggesting the team is preparing to take the same approach.
“As far as the game goes,” Bevell said of Stafford, “we’re going to take it exactly as we always do. Obviously, it will be health-based, we’re not going to put him out there if he can’t protect himself, or if he’s got a chance of something major happening from the injuries that he already has. But as I said, the guy’s tough as nails. The guy respects the game, he loves his teammates, he wants to be out there. Obviously, he gives us the best opportunity to be able to win a game when he is out there. I know he wants it.”
Stay tuned to Lions Wire for updated betting odds as they become available.
