While the Detroit Lions are on a bye week this weekend, former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams are preparing for their Wild Card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday, January 13. The winner of this matchup will have the opportunity to advance to the next playoff round, getting one step closer to the Super Bowl.
However, ahead of the game, Stafford faced some tough personal news.
Kelly Stafford Posts Photo of Matthew Stafford at the Hospital
Kelly Stafford, Matthew’s wife, is known for hosting a podcast where she discusses everything from football to her family life. In the episode from Tuesday, January 7, titled “The Morning After with Kelly Stafford and Hank,” Kelly revealed that she had been sick with the flu. She even mentioned that she offered to take their kids away from home temporarily to avoid passing the illness on to Matthew.
Unfortunately, the situation worsened when Kelly shared a photo on her Instagram Stories of Matthew in the hospital with their children: Sawyer, Chandler, Hunter, and Tyler. “Last night was long,” Kelly wrote, sharing a picture of two of their children in a hospital bed. “Back in beds and sleeping, everyone except Hunter. Feels like she drank a Celsius.”
However, it wasn’t all gloom, as Kelly posted another photo of their kids smiling with Matthew. She captioned the photo, “Before that tho, they were all smiles getting to go with daddy on his work trip.”
Having sick kids in the hospital is undoubtedly a frightening experience, so we hope the Stafford children recover soon, along with Kelly’s recovery as well.
Matthew Stafford Hopes Rams vs. Vikings Game Offers a ‘Great Escape’ for Those Affected by California Fires
Matthew Stafford’s journey with the Rams leads him to the Arizona game against the Vikings, which has been moved to State Farm Stadium in Glendale due to wildfires ravaging Southern California. This shift from Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium means the Rams lose their home-field advantage for the game.
While the loss of home-field advantage is tough for the Rams, Rams head coach Sean McVay emphasized that the challenges of the wildfires are much more significant. “Our thoughts and prayers are with everybody that’s been affected by these fires,” McVay said during a press conference on Thursday, January 9.
In the same press conference, Matthew expressed hope that the playoff game would provide a “great escape” for those affected by the devastation in California. “We play for the people in this community, the people that support us,” Matthew said. “And this week will be another example of that.”
Matthew Stafford spent 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions before being traded to the Rams in 2021, with the Lions receiving Jared Goff and draft picks in return.
