Stephen A. Smith Cannot Fathom Why Kelly Stafford Would Make Public That She Dated Matthew’s Backup

Kelly Stafford, the wife of NFL QB Matthew Stafford, recently spilled the beans about a tidbit from her college days with Matthew, claiming that she dated her now-husband’s backup to catch his eye. This disclosure has sparked intense criticism on the internet, with the common sentiment being that she didn’t need to share such a private detail publicly. Now, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN has weighed in on the matter with a similar sentiment.

Stephen A. isn’t exactly thrilled about Kelly’s recent revelation. In one of his discussions on ‘The Stephen A. Smith Show’, he criticized the NFL WAG for airing her personal matters in public, noting that certain aspects of a relationship should remain private between spouses. While there was no infidelity involved, the sportscaster questioned Kelly’s intentions, i.e., trying to make Matthew jealous. 

Considering their lasting marriage and children in the picture, Stephen A. couldn’t fathom the purpose of Kelly disclosing these details now. That said, he did make it clear that he’s not passing judgment on Kelly’s character but is simply concerned about the consequences.

“Mrs. Stafford, what could possibly make you think that it is okay for you to go home after revealing to the public, “I kicked it with his backup”? What possible advantage could you peel from that with a husband of yours, who you have four kids with? I met the woman once; she’s a nice lady. I’m not casting any aspersions on her character or anything like that. I would never disrespect Matthew Stafford’s wife or anybody else’s wife. I’m just making a point. What would make you think that’s okay? Why would you do that?” Smith wondered aloud.

Stephen A. also brought up the “man’s perspective,” suggesting that they could feel disrespected and let down by such a public disclosure. He argues that men, partners in this situation, might react differently from women, and discussing such matters publicly only complicates things further.

That being said, the widespread sentiment is now that the Staffords didn’t have a smooth-sailing relationship from the start. So, how did all the discussions and criticism start? 

During her recent appearance on the ‘Off the Vine Podcast,’ Kelly revealed that her and Matthew’s love story had its ups and downs. In an effort to grab Matthew’s attention, she turned her focus to his backup, Joe Cox, who was seen as the ‘rebel’ compared to Matthew’s image.

Surprisingly, this unconventional move paid off as Matthew promptly made up with Kelly, which eventually led them to where they are today—happily married with four children. To commemorate this happy union, Kelly even recently shared some ‘honeymoon’ photos on Instagram.

Kelly’s Instagram Post Raises Questions — Honeymoon Flashback or Hidden Message?

In the middle of the uproar, Kelly recently shared a few snapshots from her 2015 honeymoon in New Zealand with husband Matthew Stafford. One of the pictures showed the newlyweds skydiving, while a brief video captured them bungee jumping.

In the caption of her Instagram post, Kelly wrote, “If you’re not pushing boundaries you’re not truly living! Just released an episode give it a listen wherever you get your podcasts.”

These moments certainly show Matthew and Kelly have come a long way, and are getting stronger each day. It also seems Mrs. Stafford wanted to send out a message about how their bond remains strong despite facing scrutiny.

Matthew and Kelly got married in 2015. They have four daughters together: twin sisters Sawyer and Chandler born in March 2017; Hunter, born in August 2018; and Tyler, born in June 2020.

Both Matthew and Kelly cherish their family deeply. Matthew sees his wife and daughters as his supporters, while Kelly affectionately refers to Matthew as her “rock.”