Lions QB Matthew Stafford Added to COVID List, Could Still Play Against Vikings

Stafford is believed to have been exposed to the coronavirus, but he could be cleared to play if he tests negative multiple times.

The Lions added quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday, but there's still a chance he could be cleared and activated in time to play against the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.

Stafford is "considered a 'high-risk, close contact' from a non team member," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. "His last contact was Monday, which means he would be eligible to come off the Reserve/COVID list Sunday and play vs. the Vikings, pending negative tests."

What that means is Stafford has not yet had a positive test, but that he was exposed to the virus by someone outside of the Lions organization. If he shows no symptoms and tests negative multiple times this week, he'll be able to play on Sunday.

This is the exact same situation the Vikings had with rookie cornerback Cameron Dantzler just last week. Dantzler was added to the COVID list on Wednesday due to exposure to a non-team member, and was activated on Saturday. That allowed him to play against the Packers.

The one downside of this for Stafford is that he won't be able to practice all week. But the 12th-year QB has been around for long enough that he won't necessarily be affected by missing a few practices, even if it's less than ideal.

Stafford is 8-11 against the Vikings in his career, with a 4-5 record in Minneapolis.

Kenny Golladay, Taylor Decker, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Tracy Walker, and Jamal Agnew also missed practice for the Lions on Wednesday, in addition to Stafford. Golladay isn't expected to play on Sunday.

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