The Facts: Stafford said his injured back is healing as expected and he'll be ready for the start of the Detroit Lions' offseason program in April. "I feel really good, which is good," Stafford said at locker room clean out Monday. "I’ve had quite a bit of rest, obviously, and I think I’ll be feeling really, really good pretty darn soon to tell you the truth."

Diehards Line: Stafford missed the final eight games of the season after suffering fractures in his back in the fourth quarter of a Nov. 3 loss to the Oakland Raiders. It's the second back injury Stafford has dealt with in as many seasons, but the 31-year-old quarterback insisted he's not alarmed by the injuries and no one else should be, either. Stafford was one of the NFL's premier ironmen, starting 136 consecutive games, before the injury sidelined him in early November. At the time, he was on pace for the second-best passing season of his career with 2,499 yards and 19 touchdowns.