The Detroit Lions removed quarterback Matthew Stafford from the NFL’s COVID-19 reserve list on Tuesday after what was evidently a false-positive test. Stafford was placed on the COVID-IR over the weekend, and according to Stafford’s wife, Kelly, the past few days have not been easy for the Stafford family.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Kelly called out the NFL for an apparent lack of accountability with its testing system and releasing test results before false-positives were ruled out. Kelly also said that the false-positive test was enough to bring harassment towards her family and friends. She said that her kids were kicked off a playground and not allowed back at school despite Matthew getting the all clear.
She wrote:
I would also like people to know.. if you saw me out and about after this, it was because we already knew it was a false positive. We would never chance endangering anyone with this virus. If we have learned anything in the past two years, it’s that we know the value of health and the health of others.
While some of those things Kelly listed seemed like people taking precautions during a global pandemic, it’s obviously not a great look to harass Kelly and her children.
The Lions made it clear in their statement on Tuesday that Stafford did not have COVID-19. His family also tested negative for the virus.
