Can Matthew Stafford’s back carry the Detroit Lions anymore?
By Robert Jones
Can Matthew’s back carry the Lions anymore?
All injuries are a personal matter. Some players have played through broken bones while others are sent to the sidelines with a hangnail. Every player is different in that regard. Matthew finished out the 2018 season with a back injury most people couldn’t have dealt with just sitting in a chair.
Yet Matthew played through it. This season he did not. The Lions have done their best to keep the true status of Matthew’s back a secret shrouded in a mystery. But from what we have been able to hear, it sounds somewhat similar to the back injury that caused former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo to retire.
Now we don’t know to what degree Matthew is suffering currently. We only know that he doesn’t have to play the game anymore if he doesn’t want to. He is more than financially solvent and could easily step away from the game and enjoy life with his wife, Kelly, and his daughters.
No one could blame him if he did either.
However, the Lions have said that he will be ready to go next season and Matthew certainly still seems to have the fire of competition in him. But after finishing the 2018 season hurt, then missing the second half of this season with what appears to be the same injury, how much can the Lions count on him?
Despite not being perfect, he has been committed to the Detroit Lions franchise and has been on the field whenever possible while never giving anything less than 100 percent.
So while Matthew certainly seems like he wants to continue to play, since he loves the game and still has the desire to compete, not mention he is one of the toughest players in the league, has the abuse finally taken its toll?
After all, he did miss the entire second half of the season. Let’s be honest, he would’ve played had he been able to, although I’m also sure that it wouldn’t have done much good since the defense was so awful.
So while it’s not surprising to think of Matthew returning next season, it also shouldn’t be surprising if it turned out to be his last season because of the continual progression of his back problems.