Lions QB Matthew Stafford Had False Positive COVID-19 Test

The Detroit Lions have announced that quarterback Matthew Stafford had a false-positive COVID-19 test and has been removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Stafford tested negative his first two tests upon returning to training camp. His third test, on Friday of last week, gave an apparently false positive result; Stafford had not experienced symptoms. According to NFL/NFLPA protocols he had to sit out until he received two negative tests.The Lions say Stafford took three more tests after that and tested negative each time.

The Lions initially put eight players on the reserve/ COVID-19 list. Stafford and cornerback Justin Coleman have since been removed. As the

Detroit Free Press reports, here's the NFL's policy for players who test positive and either do or do not show symtoms:

Players who test positive for COVID-19 but are asymptomatic can return 10 days after the initial test, or five days after the initial test but with two confirmed negative tests. Players who show symptoms of COVID-19 cannot be cleared until at least 10 days from the time symptoms first occurred.

On field work outs for the Lions are set to begin August 12. Matthew Stafford's wife, Kelly Stafford, is sharing about the experience on social media, calling it "somewhat of a nightmare" and saying the family was harassed:

View this post on Instagram

@nfl @nfl @nfl I would also like people to know.. if you saw me out and about after this, it was because we already knew it was a false positive. We would never chance endangering anyone with this virus. If we have learned anything in the past two years, it’s that we know the value of health and the health of others. A post shared by Kelly Stafford (@kbstafford89) on Aug 4, 2020 at 1:52pm PDT