Matthew Stafford might be a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, but even he isn’t immune to pressure. And no, we’re not talking about defensive linemen charging at him—we’re talking about the kind of pressure that follows you home, keeps you up at night, and makes every throw feel like a test.
When Stafford made his high-profile move to the Los Angeles Rams, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. But until now, fans had never really heard how he felt about it. Sitting down with Jason and Travis Kelce on the New Heights podcast, the Rams QB finally spilled the truth. “I felt a ton of pressure when I got here,” Stafford admitted. “I think they returned 10 guys on offense except for me… I’m not going to be the one guy who doesn’t know what’s going on. A lot of pressure, especially because I was supposed to know everybody’s job in and out.”
That trade wasn’t just a routine quarterback swap. The Rams had sent Jared Goff, two first-round picks, and a third-round pick to Detroit in exchange for Stafford. It was a move for all, a bet that forced the franchise to win and win immediately. And though Stafford had long been admired as a skilled gunslinger in Detroit, he had never played for a team really constructed to win a championship.
For Matthew Stafford, it was a matter of survival, literally. With 12 seasons and no playoff victories in Detroit, there was a quiet lore attached to him—”can he really take a team to the promised land, or is he another quarterback who stuffed the stats but couldn’t deliver when it counted?”
Spoiler alert: He delivered!
Stafford didn’t waste any time showing his value, guiding the Rams to a Super Bowl win in his first season. Within a year, he quieted doubters, vindicated the trade, and etched himself into NFL lore. But as he disclosed on New Heights, winning didn’t necessarily alleviate pressure. And he wasn’t kidding. Months after lifting the Lombardi Trophy, expectations went through the roof. The Rams were not only a good team anymore, but the reigning champions and Stafford was supposed to maintain them at the top.
Matthew Stafford on NFL future, trade rumors, and being a “girl dad”
The conversation was not all about the past. It also touched on the rumors surrounding Stafford’s future. Following an injury-hit 2022 season and a rough beginning to 2023, rumors started circulating that the Rams would rather part with their old QB. Rumors even circulated that teams such as the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders were looking to trade for him.
So, did Stafford have plans to pack his bags? Not at all.
“I think in the end I wanted to be back. We just had to kinda figure that out and get to that point. We did, and I’m sure as hell happy I’m gonna be here for at least another year and hopefully some after that,” Stafford said.
In spite of the trade rumors swirling around him, he made one thing plain: Los Angeles is where he wants to stay. While younger quarterbacks such as Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are about to join the league, Stafford isn’t looking over his shoulder. He’s focused on taking the Rams forward.
Aside from football, the podcast also provided an insight into Stafford’s life off the field. What it is like to be a father of four daughters. Jason and Travis could not help asking about how he manages a house full of girls, to which he laughed. “It’s a blast, man… My seven-year-olds will soon be eight… six, and a four… we are like rocking and rolling. We are in leotards all the time doing gymnastics around the house, so it’s crazy.”
Image Credits: Social Media, taken from Instagram @Kelly Stafford
And, of course, the discussion wouldn’t be complete without some teammate chatter. When asked about sharing the field with Aaron Donald, Stafford didn’t miss a beat: “AD is a different deal… The get-off was crazy. He just wrecked practices. Suh was that way, too, in a lot of instances, but watching AD go about his job every single day. The respect that he got from other offenses was something I have never seen before,” Stafford said.
For fans, this episode of New Heights was vintage Stafford: candid, self-aware, and packed with personality. He peeled back the curtain on the pressures of leading a franchise, shut down trade speculation with conviction, and delivered plenty of off-the-field gems along the way.
If there was still any question in anyone’s mind about his dedication to the Rams or his tolerance for pressure, Matthew Stafford made one thing perfectly clear: he’s not leaving. Whether it’s passing touchdowns or dealing with the pandemonium of fatherhood, he’s all-in.
And as long as he’s got that blue and gold on his back, Rams fans should feel pretty good about their quarterback.
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