Report: NFL looking into Lions' handling of Stafford injury

The NFL will examine how the Detroit Lions handled the reporting of Matthew Stafford's back injury in the run-up to the quarterback sitting out Sunday's loss to the Chicago Bears, reports ESPN's Michael Rothstein.

Stafford was listed as questionable Friday after being limited in practice all week. On Saturday, it was reported he was expected to be a game-time decision and hoped to play.

On Sunday morning, it was revealed that doctors wouldn't allow Stafford to suit up, and the starter was replaced by backup Jeff Driskel.

"We'll look into it and gather all the facts," a league source told Rothstein, "as is standard in situations like this."

While the Lions said the quarterback was hurt in the Week 9 loss to the Oakland Raiders, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the issue involves fractured bones in Stafford's back, an injury that occurred last season.

The 31-year-old was apparently able to play through the pain in 2018 and didn't miss a start.

Several Lions players told ESPN on Sunday that they found out Stafford wouldn't be playing the day before.

Lions head coach Matt Patricia contradicted that in his postgame presser, saying the decision to sit Stafford was made Sunday after doctors informed Detroit "it was unsafe" for the signal-caller to play.

The NFL's rulebook states that teams must update their injury report "if, prior to the team's arrival at the stadium on game day, an event occurs that causes the club to decide that a player will not start or will not play."

Copyright (C) 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.