While Joe Burrow ranks second among current NFL quarterbacks, his performance isn’t translating into team success. The Cincinnati Bengals are currently 4-7, with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread. Matthew Stafford’s wife, Kelly Stafford, sees the situation and is reminded of her husband’s time in Detroit, where he faced a similar scenario himself.
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On the recent episode of her podcast, ‘Morning After,’ she talked about the Week 11 matchups and the Bengals’ 34-27 loss to the Chargers made her heart go out to Burrow.
“Also, I am a little heartbroken for Joe Burrow,” Kelly said, before sharing how Burrow’s situation reminded her of Stafford’s time in Detroit. “To be honest, it is reminding me of when Matthew played on the Lions for a bit.”
Kelly felt empathy for Burrow, as he has the skill set of an elite quarterback but will likely face backlash due to the team’s poor performance this season. Something she seemingly believes Matthew experienced with the Detroit Lions.
“Like you can tell how good and talented he is, it’s just the team is not winning, and that is frustrating.”
She further shared that she had even texted her husband about how she “feels” for the young QB, adding, “So I texted Matthew and I was ‘I kind of feel like I feel for him. Because I felt for you in those times.'”
Kelly’s words resonated with the majority of fans, who poured their thoughts into empathizing with the quarterback.
Sad to see talent be wasted
— Josh (@JoshiedNFT) November 24, 2024
An internet user even compared Burrow’s situation with the Chargers’ Justin Herbert.
Literally what Herbert went through his first 4 years and everybody called him soft and not an elite QB because of his defense.
— Matthew (@mcharney1) November 24, 2024
However, many NFL fans weren’t convinced by Kelly’s comparison of Burrow to Stafford, believing that the Bengals’ signal-caller is in a different league altogether.
Burrow went through a dynasty chiefs team on his way to a Super Bowl. Stafford never sniffed a playoff win.
— it’s Jasmin (@itsJasmin49) November 24, 2024
I don’t recall any Stafford led Lions team winning any conference championships & making a Super Bowl? I swear people just be talking to talk
— Misfit80894 (@misfit8089421) November 24, 2024
Kelly has been candid about Stafford’s time with the Lions and how the negativity surrounding his move to the Rams affected his family. The quarterback played 12 seasons in Detroit, where he managed to lead the team to the playoffs thrice with no postseason wins. However, after being traded to the Rams in 2021, he went on to lift the Lombardi Trophy in his debut season.
Kelly recounted how in the Rams’ first matchup against Detroit on the road, the home fans booed not only Stafford but also Kelly and their daughters. On her podcast, the QB’s wife shared that while she wasn’t especially surprised at her husband getting the fans’ wrath, it was certainly shocking when she and the kids became the target.
“My girls and I are not playing the game,” said Kelly. “I know that my girls are not getting booed. I am, and I can handle it. But when I have my girls next to me, there’s something to be said of like, maybe not?”
Matthew Stafford has proved his mettle in the NFL ever since his switch to Los Angeles, even earning the tag for “the throw of the year” in this season’s game against his former home. As for Burrow, the quarterback has become a legitimate contender for the MVP race, but he needs to convert his QB prowess into wins and secure a playoff berth to silence the critics.
