Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has a $500,000 workout bonus for participating in the offseason program. He also has something far more important than football or money on his mind right now.
Stafford is expected to miss some time during the team’s voluntary workouts, while his wife Kelly is recovering from surgery to remove a brain tumor.
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions aren’t saying when they expect Stafford in town, or how much he’ll be around this offseason.
Giving Stafford the space and time to take care of his family is obviously the correct way to handle things, and the Lions have taken care to make it clear he has their backing.
The team released a statement earlier this month saying they “fully support Kelly, Matthew and the entire Stafford family during this difficult time” while asking that “everyone respect the privacy of the situation at this time.”
“Over the years, their selfless commitment to helping others and improving the communities in which we live and work has made a lasting impact on the lives of so many,” the statement read. “We thank everyone for the outpouring of support.”
Again, Stafford’s family should take precedence over everything else at this point, and our thoughts are with them during this time.