The Facts: Doctors recently told Stafford that the fractured bones in his back are a six-week injury, league sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Diehards Line:
This doesn't mean Stafford will be sidelined six games, but it does provide a glimpse into the severity of the injury that he has played through before the Lions' doctors denied him from playing last week against the Chicago Bears and Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, according to Schefter. Stafford missed his second straight game today, and the Lions still are unsure when he will be able to return. Last week, a source told ESPN that Stafford "could miss one week, he could miss three weeks." But Detroit also knows that this type of injury would sideline most players six weeks, if not longer. It is another testament to Stafford's toughness; he had started 136 straight games before last week's absence, the sixth-longest streak for a quarterback in NFL history. We'll be watching for more.