Detroit will always be a special place for Matthew Stafford. However, one aspect of his return to Ford Field has left a sour taste for him.

Ever since he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, Stafford has repeatedly spoken in appreciation of the Lions and the city of Detroit. However, during an appearance on the 23 June episode of the Green Light with Chris Long show, he reflected on the hostile reception from fans and the way his family was treated.

“I signed up to play football. Treat me however you want to treat me,” said Stafford. “Just don't treat my family like you treated my family. And that’s the problem I had with it.”

He was referring to the NFC Wild Card playoff game on Jan. 14, 2024, which marked his first return to Detroit after joining the Rams. The former Lions quarterback further explained how he knew that he would not be getting a warm reception once he came back.

“They want to boo more cause they’re fired up about a game, that’s fine and I’m all for it,” added Stafford in the same interview. “I don’t know which one’s more jarring. I kind of expected the boos when I went back to Detroit.”

The reception was expected after Stafford had requested to be traded from the Lions after the 2020 season. He had spent 12 seasons with the Lions, but could only make the playoffs three times and couldn’t record a postseason win. This was despite him having thrown for 45,109 yards with 282 touchdowns and 144 interceptions in just 165 games.

Stafford, however, went on to win the Super Bowl in his first year with the Rams and won his first-ever MVP award last season after throwing for 4,707 yards with 46 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.

He also opened up on how it felt when Detroit made the playoffs after a long time.

Stafford recalls experiencing Detroit’s first playoff game after return

In 2023, two years after the trade that saw Stafford join the Rams and Jared Goff join the Lions, they met in the Wildcard Round. Stafford recalled the atmosphere in the stadium, considering it was Detroit’s first playoff appearance in a while.

“I don’t mean to backtrack, but when I went to Detroit, and they hosted their first playoff game there in however many years, that was electric,” said Stafford in the same interview. “We ran out for pre-warm-ups, and there wasn’t a seat in the house. People were just booing the h*** out of me and screaming but it was a fun place to play.”

While Stafford had a great game, throwing for 367 yards and two touchdowns with a passer rating of 120.9, the Lions ended up winning 24-23. This marked their first playoff win in 32 years.

The Rams and Lions are both seen as Super Bowl hopefuls this season, making the prospect of another matchup between them all the more exciting.

What do you think of Stafford's revelation about the Lions' fans? Drop in the comments.

Read more at Detroit Lions Community.

Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar