'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Matthew Stafford and the Rams' 2023 season ended at Ford Field in the Wild Card round against the Lions. It was a reunion for Stafford in returning to where he spent the first 12 seasons of his career. However, boos did ring out throughout the stadium as Matthew's wife, Kelly, felt it was directed at her and her family.
Lions fans claim that was not the case but she did not believe any of the excuses for the booing. Kelly addressed the excuses in-depth in a recent episode of her "Morning After" podcast:
“What kind of was getting to me was that people were saying ‘We weren't’ booing him, we were booing the team.’ Get the f**k outta here. My husband ran out the tunnel with one other quarterback and the boos that erupted were insane.
"Here’s my thing. Own it. We did it. We wanted to get in his head. We wanted him to know how we felt. It’s all fair game at this point.”
Kelly Stafford posted a video to her Instagram story about Detroit Lions fans booing. In the video, Stafford walks onto the field with her four daughters and some fans boo. She looks in the direction of the crowd, saying “thank you” as the video pauses.
In a previous episode of her podcast, Kelly said the booing made her daughter Hunter cry:
“My girls and I are not playing the game. My girls are not getting booed, I am, and I can handle it, but when I have my girls next to me there is something to be said, like, maybe not."
In the game, the Los Angeles Rams star suffered a concussion but was cleared to return. He passed for 367 yards and two touchdowns on 25-of-36 passing in the 24-23 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Matthew Stafford and his career with the Lions
There is a strong case to be made that Matthew Stafford is the best quarterback in the Lions' franchise history. He suffered a slew of injuries in his time with the team such as multiple separated shoulders, hand finger fractures and ankle sprains. Stafford played through it all and helped the team reach the playoffs three times.
He started 165 regular-season games with the Lions and is the all-time leader in passing yards (45,109) and touchdowns (282). Another case could be made that he is a Hall of Famer after winning his first Super Bowl with the Rams in 2022.
