Getty Kelly Stafford walks on the sidelines before a Los Angeles Rams playoff game against the Detroit Lions.
Matthew Stafford didn’t get the warmest welcome in his return to Ford Field — and neither did his family.
Matthew Stafford was booed as he took the field, and his wife was also booed as she walked with the couple’s young daughters to their seats. Despite the rather unfriendly reaction to the veteran quarterback as the Detroit Lions dispatched the Los Angeles Rams to get their first playoff win in more than three decades, Stafford’s wife is still rooting for the team that drafted her husband.
Kelly Stafford spoke out about the experience at the January 13 game, saying she understands the passion from fans and is still pulling for the team as they advance to the divisional round.
Kelly Stafford: ‘I Wasn’t Surprised’
Stafford spoke about her experience on her “The Morning After Podcast,” saying she anticipated that fans would boo her husband in his return to Detroit. Matthew Stafford, a first-overall pick for the Lions in 2009, played 11 seasons in Detroit before being shipped to the Rams in a 2021 trade. He won a Super Bowl the following season.
Kelly Stafford said it was fine that fans booed her husband.
“You are specifically booing my husband when he ran on that field, and that’s OK,” Stafford said. “I truly don’t know what I expected. But I wasn’t surprised.”
But Stafford said that fans crossed the line when they booed her while she was with her young daughters, and when some fans cheered after it appeared that her husband was injured by a hard hit. Stafford said she explained to the children that they were not the ones being targeted, but admitted it was not a pleasant experience for the family.
Video of Kelly Stafford and her children getting booed before the Lions vs Rams game.
“My girls and I are not playing the game. I know that my girls are not getting booed. I am, and I can handle it,” Stafford said. “But when I have my girls next to me, there’s something to be said of like, maybe not?”
She still kept a soft spot for the franchise, saying she is now rooting for the Lions in the playoffs and wants them “to bring home a Lombardi.”
Matthew Stafford Stays Quiet on Fans
Matthew Stafford wasn’t quite as generous with Lions fans. When asked by a reporter after the game what he thought about the city of Detroit, Stafford declined to give his feelings on the fans themselves and only said he was rooting for the team.
“I’m happy for the players. I’m happy for those guys,” Stafford said, MLive.com.
Stafford added that he was happy for Goff, the player he was traded for in 2021, along with a slew of draft picks.
“He’s their quarterback,” Stafford said. “He’s playing great. He led them to a win today. I’m happy for him. I thought he played excellent today. He’s leading an offense that’s playing at a really good clip right now, and they should be proud of him. They should be cheering for him.”
The win sent the Lions past the first round for the first time since 1992, and the Green Bay Packers’ upset win over the Dallas Cowboys ensured that they would get at least one more home game. The Lions host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on January 21 with a trip to the NFC Championship game on the line.