Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has played multiple games in recent years while wearing a glove to protect an injured finger. Although he did not appear on the injury report this week, Stafford was spotted wearing a glove once again.
Via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Stafford practiced on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with a glove on his non-throwing hand. Stafford appeared to injure the pinky on his left hand last Sunday against the Seahawks after a fourth-quarter fumble.
It’s peculiar that Stafford didn’t appear on the report as, at a minimum, fully participating in practice despite the injury. The mere fact that he’s wearing a glove to protect the pinky implies that he’s had some sort of evaluation and/or treatment, which usually is the threshold for affirmatively disclosing an injury.
Depending on the severity of the situation, it could affect Stafford’s ability to take snaps under center, forcing the Lions to use shotgun formation more often against the Vikings, in Detroit’s first game after trading receiver Golden Tate to the Eagles.