Matthew Stafford is a Detroit legend.
But he’ll be back in town this week as the opposing quarterback in the Lions’ first home playoff game in 30 years, prompting this announcement on Instagram in the days leading up to Detroit’s NFC wild-card game against the Rams:
“JERSEY BANNED.” On Sunday, Lions Stafford Jerseys will not be permitted into Ford Field.”
The announcement was made by the Detroit Line, a lifestyle business that is described in its Instagram account as “supporting all things Detroit and more.”
It was not posted by the similarly titled Detroit Lions, who did not respond to a request for comment from The Times but plainly had nothing to do with the alleged restriction.
Some folks were not amused, notably the wife of the man who wore the No. 9 jersey in Detroit for 12 grueling seasons.
“Well, this is sad because it’s the [complete] polar opposite of how we feel about this city,” Kelly Stafford responded to the Detroit Line’s Instagram post, “but Matthew has always been and will continue to be the bigger person.” “I’m hoping for a fantastic game with no injuries.”
A spokeswoman for the Detroit Line, who declined to be identified, told The Times on Instagram that the company is not surprised by Kelly Stafford’s and other Lions fans’ reactions.
“Kelly has always defended Matthew, but she has gone over the top a few times,” according to the spokesperson. “In terms of fan reactions, everything has gone precisely as we expected. Stafford has always been a contentious issue in Detroit. “Both love and hatred are strong here.”TheDLine is on the ‘Love’ side of the coin. He gave us 12 years and worked tirelessly to build our franchise to where it is currently, but it never worked…. This week will be difficult since it is so important to our fan base. Obviously, we will set aside our Stafford fandom this week. It’s not about you. It’s just business.”
For all of Stafford’s career in Detroit, the Lions were a bad team, never winning a division and going 0-3 in the playoffs. Stafford requested and received a trade after the 2020 season, then went on to win Super Bowl LVI with the Rams the following year. Meanwhile, the Lions are thriving in their third season under coach Dan Campbell and former Rams quarterback Jared Goff.
All of this makes for an intriguing weekend in Detroit, where Stafford will be on the opposing team in one of the most important games in Lions history.
So, what if Stafford and the Rams finish the Lions’ season?
“If the Rams win, we will continue to root for Stafford,” said a spokeswoman for the Detroit Lions. “As you may recall, during the Rams’ Super Bowl run, we created the viral Detroit Rams campaign.” Having said that, the Lions will be ‘biting kneecaps’ this week as we make our way to the Super Bowl.
“The real question will be for Los Angeles, will you return the favor and root for Jared Goff during our Superbowl run, as the Los Angeles Lions?”
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