Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford in 2016. Photo courtesy A Healthier Michigan/Wikipedia.Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford in 2016. Photo courtesy A Healthier Michigan/Wikipedia.
Windsor

Lions place Stafford on COVID-19 reserve

The quarterback of Detroit's NFL team is being sidelined for the time being.

The Detroit Lions confirmed Wednesday afternoon via Twitter that the team has placed Matthew Stafford on the COVID-19 Reserve List. The designation makes Stafford unlikely to play in this Sunday's game in Minneapolis against the Vikings.

The NFL places a player on the list if he either tests positive for COVID-19, or has to quarantine in response to being in close contact with someone who tested positive.

"If a player falls into either of these categories, their club is required to immediately place the player on the reserve-COVID-19 list," read the statement from the Lions.

https://twitter.com/Lions/status/1324094102762377218

The team is not required to disclose whether Stafford has tested positive or is in isolation, nor is it allowed to provide such information to the public, according to the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and its players' association.

This is not the first time Stafford has been in the COVID-19 spotlight. In August, the Lions held him out of training camp after he had received a positive COVID-19 test. It turned out to be a false positive, and Stafford was reinstated.

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