Kelly Stafford, wife of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, has come to her husband’s defence and addressed critics’ thoughts about him after the Super Bowl.
After the quarterback and his team won the Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday, rumours began circulating about whether Matthew could eventually make it into the NFL Hall of Fame (HOF). However, according to the NFL star’s wife, fans have also questioned her husband’s ability.
Kelly addressed the comments on Instagram on Tuesday, where she called out all of the critics who have been questioning her husband’s success.
“Can y’all just let him enjoy this?!” Kelly wrote on her Instagram story on 15 February. “It went from Matthew can’t win, to Matthew can’t win against winning teams, to Matthew can’t win big games, to Matthew can’t win playoff games, to Matthew can’t win it at all.”
The Morning After podcast host then acknowledged how discussing if Matthew will make it to the Hall of Fame doesn’t make sense yet, as he’s still in the midst of his career.
“And now…the debate on the HOF?” she continued. “We shouldn’t be talking about the HOF because he isn’t done playing the game yet. If you don’t believe he is a HOFer…I can’t wait for him to prove you wrong in his remaining years…just like he did IN ONE YEAR to everyone who said all the things listed above.”
“So let’s table this talk until he actually retires?” she added. “Thank you.”
Since Matthew’s Super Bowl win, there have been a few football players who’ve been a part of the debate, including Richard Sherman, cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buckners, who claimed that the bar for the Hall of Fame is “incredibly low” but also argued that Matthew wouldn’t be able to make it.
There is no measuring stick that makes Stafford a hall of famer other than playing in the most passer happy decade in NFL history. Inflated numbers make ever QB that starts 10+ years a “hof”
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) February 14, 2022
“I’m gonna talk about it on the podcast but the HOF bar is incredibly low now,” he wrote on Twitter. “Like a participation trophy. No all decade team. No All pro. No MVP. 1 Pro bowl. Not even MVP of the SB. Never considered the best in any year he played. At least M Ryan has an MVP.”
“There is no measuring stick that makes Stafford a Hall of Famer other than playing in the most passer happy decade in NFL history,” he later added in response to his tweet. “Inflated numbers make ever QB that starts 10+ years a ‘hof.’”
However, Michael Robinson, former football fullback for the San Franciso 49ers, said that Matthew deserved to be in the HOF.
What does a Super Bowl win mean for Matthew Stafford?
“Yes he’s a gold jacket, ABSOLUTELY. The ultimate team goal, to win a Lombardi, Matthew Stafford actually has, and he was a huge part of winning this Super Bowl.” — @RealMikeRob pic.twitter.com/zFkDnZhHPO
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) February 14, 2022
“Yes he’s a gold jacket, ABSOLUTELY,” Robinson said on Good Morning Football. “The ultimate team goal, to win a Lombardi, Matthew Stafford actually has, and he was a huge part of winning this Super Bowl.”
Although Matthew’s Hall of Fame of honour is still yet to be determined, his recent Super Bowl win was a pivotal moment for him and his family, with the athlete recently praising his wife for being there for him through it.
“I couldn’t have done it without her,” Stafford told Good Morning America. “She’s an unbelievable part of my life. She’s been through a lot with me, and we’ve leaned on each other at separate times to help ourselves get whatever we’re having to get through.”
As noted by his NFL player profile, he was first drafted into the NFL by the Detroit Lions in 2009. He played with the team up until 2020, at which point the quarterback joined the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.