Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford set to return
Detroit Lions second-year quarterback Matthew Stafford is close to making his return. On Tuesday's
Dan Patrick Show, he said that he expects to get the start when the Lions take on the Washington Redskins on October 31.
"My shoulder's getting better. I've been doing a lot of rehab and throwing a little bit. And hopefully this week I'll practice with the guys every day and then move that right on to next week and be ready for the game against the Redskins, hopefully."
"The pain's going away, and my range of motion and strength is coming all back. That's what we've been looking for from the beginning, and now that's coming back to me, hopefully I can get back out there and play on Sundays."
Stafford was injured in the Lions' season opener against the Chicago Bears on September 12 when he hurt his throwing shoulder.
Stafford almost saw action last week as the third-string quarterback when his replacement, Shaun Hill, left the game with a broken arm and backup Drew Stanton was getting banged up as the Lions lost 28-20 to the sack-happy New York Giants. In the end, the
Lions were happy to not have to use him.
"We were still in a situation where any hit on his throwing shoulder was going to set him back," Lions head coach Jim Schwartz said. "We're close to getting past that scenario."
The Lions now have the benefit of a extra week's rest as they enter their bye week, giving Stafford some extra time to ease back into playing.
"You never know exactly how someone is going to respond to an increased workload," Schwartz said about his plans to get Stafford back in the lineup.
"Hopefully we can keep him on track and we can be smart about how we use him and get him ready for that, but that's definitely the plan."
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