Getty Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford on November 6, 2022 in Tampa Bay.
Turns out Matthew Stafford could’ve been a Netflix star, but turned down the opportunity.
As the streaming service’s “Quarterback” series has dominated views by shining a light on the daily grind of Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota, the wife of the Los Angeles Rams quarterback shared on her podcast The Morning After With Kelly Stafford that her husband declined to be on the show produced by NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.
“They approached Matthew last year for this show, he turned it down,” Kelly Stafford confirmed.
Staffords Have Said ‘No’ to Other Reality Opportunities
Turns out the Staffords have said no to other docuseries opportunities, per Kelly.
“We’ve said no to quite a few approaches on reality tv shows,” she said. “You guys know how private my husband is. You know how I’m not private, f*** I have a podcast explaining my entire life. But it’s also, I respect that.”
Yet, Kelly Stafford says they continue to be approached by television crews representing the reality TV realm.
“The only reason they’re approaching us is because of him, so I don’t fight it, plus it’s not my cup of tea (when it’s a) family show,” Kelly Stafford said. “Not my cup of tea because I don’t want to expose my girls in that way. But ‘Quarterback’ is different.”
Main Reason Why Rams QB Said No
While critics have praised the Netflix series for showcasing Mahomes, Cousins and Mariota in a light outside of an NFL stadium, Kelly Stafford again reiterated that her husband’s decision to decline the opportunity had more to do with his own privacy.
“He didn’t do it for a couple reasons. He’s private, he also didn’t want to put his teammates through it,” Kelly Stafford explained. “It was also the first year, he wanted it to kind of figure itself out so he knows what all to expect. He’s like ‘I don’t want my teammates to deal with cameras in the locker room. Here, there, whatever.’ Which I respect. I love that he thinks of those things.”
Perhaps it’s just as well the Netflix cameras weren’t dialed in on him and the Rams. Stafford dealt with an injury-plagued 2022 following his first Super Bowl run, which saw his season end with a spinal cord contusion. The series would’ve teetered on the path of showing a frustrated Stafford and Rams squad following their Super Bowl season.
But while Stafford said no to this round of “Quarterback,” would he reconsider if Netflix representatives come to his house pitching another idea?
“I think with a season under the belt [for Quarterback], we’ll see. I think he’ll reconsider,” Kelly Stafford said.
And will there be a second season of the new hit Netflix series? Manning addressed that on The Pat McAfee Show.
“Season 2 has been greenlit by Netflix, we’re excited, we’re hoping for more quarterbacks,” Manning said (h/t Deadline on July 18).
Manning additionally squashed the feeling that having extra cameras on the sideline presented a distraction for the star QBs.
“I don’t want to hear ‘It’s going to be a distraction’ because that’s not true. Patrick Mahomes proved that, Kirk Cousins proved that, Marcus, the way he handled that, proved that,” Manning said. “We’re hoping that guys after seeing it say this is going to be a cool thing that I can show to my kids when I’m older, show to my grandkids one day. Hopefully the pitch will be easier.”