The Lions announced a couple of decisions that have Detroit fans talking Tuesday.
First, news came out that team owner Martha Firestone Ford will keep both head coach Matt Patricia and General Manager Bob Quinn for the 2020 season.
Second, quarterback Matt Stafford’s season is officially done as the team announced that it has placed the 31-year-old on Injured Reserve.
Stafford hasn’t played since November 3rd, so the move isn’t exactly a shock. He has been with the franchise his entire career, now in his 11th season, but despite playing through a back injury for a while, the injury sidelined him last month and now has ended his season.
That’s bad news for this year as the Lions are winless without Stafford at QB. In eight games this season, Stafford looked pretty good. He threw for 2,499 yards and 19 touchdowns with just five interceptions.
While Stafford on IR is bad news for the remainder of this season, the management decision impacts all of next season.
Firestone Ford’s daughter, Sheila Ford Hamp, talked with a small group of reporters Tuesday and according to the Detroit Free Press, admitted that a coaching change, “would have been the popular choice, the popular decision and we knew that,” but said that the decision to keep Patricia for a third season is “what is right for the organization.”
The expectation from ownership is that in keeping Quinn and Patricia, the Lions will be a playoff team in 2020.
The Lions have lost seven games in a row, beginning with the last game Stafford played in.
The team visits the Broncos Sunday.