Matthew Stafford missed practice again Wednesday, putting him in line to miss a third consecutive game.
The Lions quarterback fractured bones in his back late in the team’s Week Nine loss to the Raiders.
With the Lions 3-6-1 and behind six teams in the NFC wild-card race, it begs wondering whether the team should shut down Stafford for the season?
Stafford, though, won’t hear of it.
“Because this is what I do,” Stafford said Wednesday, via Tim Twentyman of the team website. “I understand your question, but this is what I love to do. I love playing football. I appreciate all the hard work that all the guys in this locker room and in this organization put into going out there and trying to win games on Sunday and I love being a part of that.”
Stafford had started 136 games in a row before sitting out the past two. He practiced the week after his injury but a scan on his back the Friday before the Bears game showed the extent of the injury.
Stafford said he doesn’t care whether it’s Week 12 or Week 17, he wants to return this season. He added that no one in the organization has talked about shutting him down for the year.
“It’s tough for me to sit there without the pads on and not be able to impact the game on the field the way I’m used to doing,” Stafford said. “That’s driving me to get back out there, and whenever we all deem it’s the right time for me to get back out there, I’ll be out there.”