Matthew Stafford returned to Detroit on Sunday night for his first game since being traded to the Rams three years ago, but Lions fans didn’t give him the warm welcome some thought they might. Instead, they booed him – and then booed him some more.
It’s understandable that they wouldn’t cheer on the opposing team’s quarterback, and Stafford went into the game knowing full well that he was “the bad guy coming to town.” But it must’ve been odd hearing boos rain down on him in a building where he was revered for more than a decade.
After the game, Stafford appeared to snub Lions fans when asked how he feels about Detroit getting its first playoff win in over 30 years.
Reporter: “You’ve been here in Detroit for your first 12 seasons, how do you feel about the city of Detroit?”
Stafford: “I’m happy for the players. Happy for those guys.”
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
Stafford is typically much more elaborate with his answers, but his brief response and lack of love shown toward Lions fans is telling. He probably didn’t appreciate getting ruthlessly booed before the game when he trotted onto the field, despite not being surprised by that cold welcome from fans in the stands.
He doesn’t seem to be bothered by it, though.
“It was a playoff game. 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,” Stafford said.
Warm welcome for Stafford 😏 #SuperWildCard
📺: #LARvsDET — 8pm ET on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/xZTK9nbane— NFL (@NFL) January 15, 2024
As disappointed as Stafford is to head home with a loss, he’s spoken highly of the fans in Detroit and the city as a whole countless times before. He would’ve just rather seen their first playoff win in 30 years come against a team besides his own.
