Even the wives of football superstars can’t help but feed into the NFL rumor mill.
When word began circulating last month that Matthew Stafford was in talks to be traded from the Los Angeles Rams to the Minnesota Vikings, it came across his wife Kelly Stafford’s social media feed.
“I open up Instagram one day and I’m like, ‘Oh, do I need to start looking for a home in Minnesota?’” Kelly recalled on “The Morning After” podcast Tuesday, November 5. “Like, what’s happening? And that’s one thing you don’t want to text your husband. ‘Hey, have you heard you’re getting traded?’”
Kelly did not text Matthew, 36, in the moment, saying it would have been “inappropriate” to do so.
“He’s seeing it, too,” she said. “It’s not like he’s not seeing these rumors.”
Kelly admitted the talk had her “spiraling a little bit,” especially when it came to her and Matthew’s four daughters: twins Sawyer and Chandler, 7, Hunter, 6 and Tyler, 4.
So, given the circumstances, Kelly couldn’t help but think about what the Stafford family would do if the rumors turned into reality.
“I’ve always told myself I will never separate our family,” Kelly said. “Because it’s not fair to anyone. It’s not fair to him to not be able to see his girls; it’s not fair to the girls to not see their Dad. I would lose my mind without him.”
The plan, in that case, was non-negotiable.
“I would pick up, go, lease a spot for six months, put the kids in a public school for the rest of the fall and come back in the winter,” Kelly explained.
Kelly acknowledged her girls would be “devastated” about a potential relocation, especially after the family moved across the country in 2021 after Matthew was traded to the Rams from the Detroit Lions.
Alas, the trade to Minnesota never happened, which Kelly credited in part to the Rams’ recent winning ways.
“I do believe the fact that we won the last two games and are in the hunt now for our division is going to mean that we are not trading anyone away,” she boasted. “Because, you know what? We could actually make a run now.”
After three consecutive victories against the Las Vegas Raiders, the aforementioned Vikings and Seattle Seahawks, the Rams have improved their record to 4-4, just a half game behind the Arizona Cardinals for first place in the NFC West.
The Rams return to action on Monday, November 11, against the Miami Dolphins.