Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford's season is over. The Lions placed the second-year quarterback on injured reserve today, ending any chance of him returning this season.
Stafford has been out ever since the Jets game. After putting the Lions in position to win, Stafford suffered a right shoulder injury in the fourth quarter and was out not only the rest of the game, but the last eight weeks of the season. So far he has missed six straight games, and after the season wraps up with contests against the Dolphins and Vikings, Stafford will have missed eight consecutive games.
Earlier in the season, Stafford missed five straight games after suffering his first right shoulder injury in Week 1 of the season. Stafford was out for a span of seven weeks, finally returning after a bye week to play the Redskins. The Lions won the game and it was Stafford's only game that he played from start to finish this season.
On the year, Stafford will have missed 13 total games, as well as an entire half in the first game of the season. Last year, he missed six games because of injuries, meaning in his first two years in the NFL Stafford will have played in only 13 games while missing 19. That's not a ratio any player wants to have.
With Stafford for sure not rehabbing with the intent of playing again this season, he will be able to concentrate on simply getting healthy for the upcoming offseason. According to Tom Kowalski, Stafford said surgery isn't an option currently and that he thinks he will be back to 100 percent health by March, when the Lions have their first OTAs (assuming there isn't a lockout, of course).
To fill Stafford's spot on the roster for the final two games of the 2010 season, the Lions signed safety Randy Phillips off the practice squad.