While there have been numerous reports about how long Matthew Stafford will be out because of his shoulder injury, the Lions won't know the extent of the injury until he has X-rays and an MRI today. Apparently X-rays were not taken yesterday at Soldier Field, so all of the extensive tests to determine how much time Stafford will miss are set for this morning.
Depending on which report you've seen, Stafford could miss anywhere from two to six weeks. These reports are based on speculation only, but according to Jason La Canfora, the Lions are the ones doing the speculating.
The Detroit Lions are bracing to be without Matt Stafford for four to six weeks after the quarterback suffered a shoulder injury in a season-opening loss to the Chicago Bears, according to a league source.
Right now the best-case scenario seems to be missing Stafford for only two weeks, as that would allow for him to get back in time for the Vikings game on Sept. 26. If he's out the maximum of six weeks, however, the Lions would be without Stafford until the end of October. He would end up missing five games, as the Lions' bye week falls in the sixth week of his recovery.
It remains to be seen just how severe Stafford's shoulder injury is, but let's just hope it turns out to not be as bad as originally thought. The Lions really can't afford to be without the 2009 No. 1 overall pick for long, because this is his team and especially his offense. Detroit needs Stafford.