Three years after the fateful trade that sent him to the Los Angeles Rams, Matthew Stafford made his long-awaited return to Ford Field for Sunday night’s playoff game against the Detroit Lions. Stafford, who spent the first 12 years of his career in Detroit, remains the best quarterback the Lions have ever had, but he didn’t get quite the warm welcome some may have expected. Instead, Lions fans rained down boos on the veteran signal-caller, first when he exited the tunnel for warm-ups and again as the Rams prepared for their first drive of the game.
Jan 14, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) walks off the field after losing a 2024 NFC wild card game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports After the Lions capped off a thrilling 24-23 win to earn their first playoff win in 32 years, Stafford said something that ruffled some feathers in Detroit. When asked how he felt about the Lions finally breaking their drought, Stafford congratulated the players while paying little mind to the fans. “I’m happy for the players. Happy for those guys,” Stafford said. Rams HC Sean McVay said he was happy for his ex-QB Jared Goff. I asked Matthew Stafford if he’s happy for the city of Detroit, seeing as how he played his first 12 seasons here: “I’m happy for the players.”
pic.twitter.com/K738IcmkyD — Kory E. Woods (@KoryEWoods) January 15, 2024 On a surface level, it’s easy to attribute Stafford’s snub of Lions fans to the earlier boos, and it very well could be partially so. In the same presser, though, Stafford made it clear that he has no hard feelings towards any fans who were in the heat of the moment. “It was a playoff game,” Stafford told reporters. “I’m not surprised that they were excited about cheering for their team and I’m not too worried about anybody’s personal feelings towards me that was sitting in the stands.”
Related: ‘Happy For Him!’ Sean McVay is Proud of Lions QB Jared Goff Stafford, 35, had an impressive showing in his return to Detroit, completing 25 of 36 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns. His counterpart in Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who was included in the Stafford trade, had a slightly worse game statistically as he completed 22 of 27 passes for 277 yards and a score, but he got the last laugh with a win over his former team. Stafford’s return to the Motor City may not have ended in storybook fashion, but considering he and the Rams rebounded to being playoff contenders once more, it was a very successful season.
