Former Detroit Lions wife Kelly Stafford Opens Up About Marital Challenges: ‘Why Would God Put Me Through This to me
As Kelly Stafford looked ahead to her 10th wedding anniversary with husband Matthew Stafford, she openly revealed that their relationship hasn’t been smooth sailing
Kelly and Matthew, the Los Angeles Rams quarterback, were married in April 2015 after meeting at the University of Georgia.
Before marriage, Kelly said, “you always put yourself first.”
“Then suddenly, you’re prioritizing another person,” she explained. “You’ve got kids now. It just gets more difficult with every new thing added on.”
Kelly and Matthew, 37, have four daughters: twins Sawyer and Chandler, 8, Hunter, 6, and Tyler, 4.
“We’ve had a lot of highs and lows in our marriage. Truly,” Kelly confessed. “I think the first year was incredibly hard.”
After surviving that first year, other challenges followed. In April 2019, Kelly had brain surgery to remove a benign tumor. Then, in 2021, Matthew was traded to the Rams after 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions.
“While you’re in it, you’re like, ‘Why is God doing this to me?’” Kelly reflected. “But really, it’s God doing it for you.”
Kelly also noticed changes when Matthew went “from college to the NFL.” After three years at Georgia, he became the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
“I’m not saying he became a different person,” Kelly said. “His personality and how he treats others stayed the same. But I had to adjust to the shift from fun, wild Matthew to professional Matthew.”
Kelly added, “That really caught me off guard. Suddenly, we couldn’t go dance at bars or do the fun things I loved. I had to adapt and say, ‘Alright, this is different now. I’ll support this and be with you through it.’”
