Lions notes: Matthew Stafford turns down Pro Bowl invite because of finger injury

The Detroit Lion could have been a two-time Pro Bowler, but an injury prevented an Orlando appearance.

By Jeremy Reisman@DetroitOnLion Jan 27, 2017, 12:00pm EST

Chicago Bears v Detroit Lions

Because Matt Ryan will be playing in the Pro Bowl and Aaron Rodgers turned down an invitation, Matthew Stafford was in line to be the next quarterback representative for the NFC Pro Bowl team. However, Stafford turned down the offer according to the Detroit News because of the finger injury he suffered in Week 14 against the Chicago Bears.

Whatever your views are on Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, it appears he has gained the respect of his colleagues:

NFL view on Jim Caldwell is he's a miracle worker for getting that Lions team to 10 wins. Firing him would've sent atrocious message
— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) January 27, 2017

Tim Twentyman has 10 players who impressed during Senior Bowl practices this week.

Of the 13 teams that have never won a Super Bowl, Nate Davis of USA TODAY believes the Lions are only the eighth-closest to winning the title right now.

DeAndre Levy helped raise money to test neglected rape kits last year. Less than a year later, those efforts are already paying off:

DeAndre Levy raised $30K to process untested rape kits. The initiative helped bring new charges this week. https://t.co/MrT9fwvEsk
— Justin Rogers (@Justin_Rogers) January 27, 2017

During this week of Senior Bowl practices, the Lions met with Texas A&M defensive end Daeshon Hall “for a while.” Based on what Hall said to MLive, there appears to be genuine interest there.

The Packers coaching staff is going through some minor changes this offseason:

Packers Assoc. HC Tom Clements is leaving the team, per Mike McCarthy. His contract is expiring.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 26, 2017

Rafael Bush, set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, still believes he could fill a starting role for an NFL team.