Matthew Stafford, who missed the second half of the 2019 season due to injury, told reporters on Thursday that his previously injured back is "healed up," per WXYZ Detroit's Brad Galli.

"I feel great," Stafford said. "It healed up. I'm moving around as much as this slow man can."

Stafford also added that he's confident his body is ready for game action.

"If we could put the pads on today, I'd go do it," Stafford said. "I'm as good as I have been the last couple of years, physically." 

The Detroit Lions' starting quarterback since 2009, Stafford said that his back held up while throwing passes to teammates Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola during recent throwing sessions at his home in Atlanta. Stafford said that he constructed a home gym in his garage in order to stay in shape during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He has also been throwing at a facility not far from his home. 

Stafford said that he wasn't bothered by previous rumors about the Lions possibly trading him earlier this offseason. Stafford said that he discussed the rumors with Lions head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn, who told him that he was not being shopped, according to Kyle Meinka of MLive. 

Instead of trading him, the Lions spent several of their draft picks on players they hope will help Stafford in 2020 and beyond. They spent their second-round pick on D'Andre Swift, one of the top running back prospects in this year's draft. Detroit, after selecting guards Jonah Jackson and Logan Stenberg, selected receiver Quintez Cephus and running back Jason Huntley in the fifth round. 

Stafford, who saw his streak of 136 consecutive starts (the sixth longest stretch by a quarterback in NFL history) come to an end last season, also the discussed the possibility of playing inside empty stadiums this fall. He said that, while it would provide some advantages for quarterbacks, the games would lack the energy that fans bring to the game day experience. 

"It's like going for a long run with no music," he said. 

While there are still questions as it relates to the 2020 season, Stafford is preparing as if the season will start on time. On Wednesday, the NFL extended its virtual offseason through May, as teams continue to work outside their facilities. The 2020 regular season is slated to start on Sept. 10.