QB Matthew Stafford taken off Lions COVID-19 list after his positive test determined to be a false-positive
Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford does not have COVID-19.
The Lions said Tuesday that Stafford was no longer on the team’s COVID-IR because the team was able to determine that Stafford’s positive test was a false-positive.
“Today we removed Matthew Stafford from the COVID-IR list and onto the active roster,” the team said in a statement. “As a result of a false-positive test result, he was forced due to NFL/NFLPA protocols to sit out until he received two negative tests. His testing sequence for the pre-entry period was: negative, negative, false-positive. The next three tests were all negative. To be clear, Matthew does NOT have COVID-19 and never has had COVID-19 and the test in question was a false-positive. Also, all of Matthew’s family have been tested and everyone is negative.”
Statement from the Detroit Lions pic.twitter.com/3C9jVHGbQV
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 4, 2020
Stafford placed on list Friday
Stafford was placed on the COVID-IR on Saturday and the Lions did not comment further about his designation. The list is for players who have either tested positive for coronavirus or come in contact with someone who has tested positive.
Since Stafford was placed on the list on Saturday, his three ensuing negative tests have all come over the past three days.
It’s obviously great news that Stafford and his family haven’t contracted the virus. His wife Kelly had surgery for a brain tumor in the spring of 2019 and the family has four young children. Their youngest child was born in June.
Stafford is entering his 12th season with the Lions and had started every game for the team from 2011-2018. He played in just eight games in 2019 because of shoulder and back injuries and his consecutive starts streak ended at 136.
He was the second quarterback to come off a team’s COVID-19 list on Tuesday. The Jacksonville Jaguars announced earlier in the day that Gardner Minshew had been activated.
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
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