The Lions gave quarterback Matthew Stafford the option to play last week, after he had practiced while dealing with a back injury.
But he said Monday he thought the Lions were better off without him.
“Ultimately, I think, made the right decision,” Stafford said, via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. “Giving my pads to somebody else and go play.”
That snapped a 136-game start streak for Stafford, who played through a back injury last year. Jeff Driskel started in his place, and the Lions lost to the Bears.
Stafford said this year’s injury is different, and he’s not at a point where he’s thinking about shutting himself down for the season.
“That’s not my thinking at the moment,” Stafford said. “My thinking is to try and be out there as soon as I possibly can to help us win. . . .
“I was probably in one of the weirder places I’ve been mentally in a long time watching that game. Just trying to pull for the guys.”
The league is still looking at the Lions handling of his status, after Stafford told some players on Saturday he wasn’t playing, and he was still listed as questionable.