As Matthew Stafford moved from one drill to the next during the open portion of Lions practice Wednesday, he did so with a noticeable hitch in his step.
Stafford wasn't quite limping on the right ankle that he injured in last week's loss to the Carolina Panthers, but he sort of hopped his way into a trot the way someone would when they're trying to avoid putting too much pressure on their leg.
Stafford practiced Wednesday for the first time since he rolled his ankle on a fourth-quarter sack by the Panthers' Kawann Short.
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Neither he nor Lions coach Jim Caldwell provided much of an update on his injury before practice, but it was clear — even as backup Jake Rudock got more work than usual — that Stafford is on track to play this week against the New Orleans Saints.