Matthew Stafford is week-to-week with broken bones in his back

[Roary]

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As undesirable conditions go, broken bones in the back reside not far down the list from rabies. But that’s what Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has. (Not rabies.)

PFT has confirmed that Stafford has broken bones in his back, and that his status is currently week-to-week, and that he simply needs time to heal. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Stafford “desperately” wanted to play on Sunday at Chicago, but doctors have intervened and will prevent him from doing so.

Adam Schefter of ESPN initially reported that Stafford has broken bones in his back, and that he is currently week-to-week.

Stafford insisted on Wednesday that he’ll be “good to go” on Sunday, and by all appearances he has fought through the pain associated with the condition.

It’s unclear which bones are broken in Stafford’s back. From time to time, players suffer tranverse process fractures — the small bones that flare rom the verterbrae. It’s a painful condition, but it doesn’t entail risk of injury to the spinal cord.

Matthew Stafford’s toughness cannot be questioned. Ten years ago this month, Stafford forced his way back onto the field to deliver a win over the Browns after suffering a shoulder injury. Chances are that he’ll find his way back into action sooner than later this time around; if, however, the Lions lose two or three games without him, the smartest long-term play for the franchise and its franchise quarterback could be to shut him down for the rest of the season and let him fully heal.

But Stafford simply isn’t wired that way. Although he did miss time early in his career due to injury, he has consistently and persistently toughed it out for 136 straight games, starting ever game since the outset of the 2011 season despite a variety of injuries that, before today, hadn’t kept him on the sideline.