Lions quarterback Jon Kitna sprained his knee near the end of Sunday's game against the 49ers. Kitna was sacked on the Lions' final drive of the game and his leg bent sort of awkwardly. Immediately Kitna limped off the field and collapsed on the sidelines in pain. He was on the ground for a minute or two before getting up and then limped around as the game came to an end.
As of right now the severity of Kitna's injury is unknown. Since the Lions have a bye this week there is a chance that Kitna will be able to return in time for their next game on October 5. However, just because he may be able to return doesn't mean he will. At this point the Lions have to start thinking about playing Drew Stanton simply because I don't think they'll be any better off with Kitna. Already Detroit is 0-3, and with no signs of improvement existing, you have to start looking ahead to the future. Right now, the future is Drew Stanton.
Of course, talk of who should start could end up being moot if Kitna is too hurt to play, but we'll just have to wait and see. There is no media access this week since the Lions are off, so we may have to wait a few days to find out just how hurt Kitna is. He is supposed to undergo further evaluation sometime soon if he hasn't already, so the coaches should at least have an idea of if he will be able to play against the Bears on October 5.