Matthew Stafford Ruled Out for Lions vs. Bucs with Ankle Injury

Detroit Lions quarterback Matt Stafford suffered an ankle injury during the first half of Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported he was ruled out for the remainder of the game, noting "down 34 points in the second half, this makes sense regardless of the injury."

Stafford was replaced by Chase Daniel.

Stafford, 32, has dealt with injury issues in 2020, battling through rib cartilage damage. Despite that injury, Stafford appeared in the team's first 14 games, throwing for 3,774 yards, 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions. 

After injuries affected him early in his career, Stafford didn't miss a start between the 2011-18 seasons, a remarkable run of durability. That came to a close in 2019, however, as the one-time Pro Bowler missed eight games with a back injury. 

For the Lions and Stafford, 2020 was yet again a disappointing campaign, as head coach Matt Patricia was fired following a 4-7 start, and the team will miss the postseason for a fourth straight year. Major changes are coming in Detroit, though Stafford seems entrenched as the team's starter. 

As for the short-term impact of Stafford's injury, Daniel will step into the lineup. The career backup is a step down from Stafford, though with Detroit already out of the playoff picture, it's basically a moot point.