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Matthew Stafford may be this year’s league MVP when all is said and done, but the final results for the Los Angeles Rams quarterback weren’t what he or the team hoped for Sunday night.
The Seattle Seahawks were NFC champions after defeating the Rams, and Stafford and his teammates headed back to Los Angeles late on what was likely a somber flight.
But despite what happened in Seattle, Stafford’s first priority was his family, as his wife, Kelly Stafford, revealed on social media.
No one would blame Stafford if he was still thinking about the loss in the early hours of Monday morning, but his wife showed that his fatherly duties were the first thing on his mind when he got home.
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford with his daughters on the sideline before taking on the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium on Jan. 4, 2026. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
“After leaving everything in that field and falling short, 230 in the morning, here was Matthew,” Kelly captioned a video in an Instagram Story video of her home camera showing her husband saying goodnight to each of his four daughters — twins Sawyer and Chandler, Hunter and Tyler.
Making sure your kids are tucked in and sleeping is one of the best feelings as a parent, even when things didn’t go right during the day.
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Stafford, 37, left everything out on the Lumen Field turf Sunday night, but it wasn’t enough in the end.
A crucial play came on fourth-and-4 near the Seahawks’ goal line, where Stafford had the opportunity to take the lead with just under five minutes to play in the NFC Championship Game.
But when he dropped back and probed the end zone, he tried to hook a pass to rookie tight end Terrence Ferguson and it fell incomplete with Devon Witherspoon providing tight coverage for Seattle’s defense.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford poses with his family prior to the NFC Wild Card game between the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, January 14, 2023 at Ford Field in Detroit, MI. (Steven King/Icon Sportswire)
It was a crucial play as Sam Darnold and the Seahawks’ offense had their own option: Pick up a few first downs and ice the game. They killed all but 25 seconds with a methodical drive, and Stafford attempted a miracle drive deep in his own territory but came up short in the end.
As the Seahawks celebrated, the Rams left the field disappointed, aiming for their first Super Bowl appearance since Stafford helped them win in the 2021 season.
Stafford’s final stat line of the season was 22-of-35 for 374 yards with three touchdowns. He was even seen bloodied on his left hand that didn’t throw during the game.
As mentioned, Stafford is one of the MVP finalists for this season after leading the league in passing touchdowns (46) and passing yards (4,707) as he went 12-5 in his 17th NFL season.
The question will likely arise this offseason if Stafford wants to make Year 18 real with the Rams. He dodged a question in Seattle about his future in 2026, but he seemed focused on getting home and spending time with his family.
Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams stands on the field prior to the NFC Championship NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on January 25, 2026 in Seattle. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
In fact, Stafford even thanked his wife and daughters for their support all season with some gourmet donuts and a nice note, which his wife also shared on social media.
“Thank you for being such rock stars to me all season!” Stafford’s note read. “You were all the inspiration for Dad’s incredible year! We [love] you!!”
