Matthew Stafford Salty, Snubs Detroit Lions Fan

Former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was not in the mood to talk glowingly about the fanbase that cheered him on for 12 years. From the moment he stepped foot on the new turf at Ford Field for a playoff matchup against his former team, the 35-year-old veteran quarterback was booed and jeered by Lions’ supporters. After being eliminated from the playoffs, Stafford had a brief response when asked if he was happy for the City of Detroit, as the fanbase witnessed a playoff victory for the first time in three decades. “I’m happy for the players. Happy for those guys,” Stafford said.

Stafford did not acknowledge and understood why the fanbase was supportive of Jared Goff, as the Lions offense has been playing at a high level for two years. “He’s their quarterback,” Stafford said. “He’s playing great. He led them to a win today. I’m happy for him. I thought he played excellent today. He’s leading an offense that’s playing at a really good clip right now and they should be proud of him. They should be cheering for him.”

The circumstances regarding his departure from Motown likely played a small part in the fan’s treatment of him. But the biggest reason Stafford was booed was from a competitive standpoint, which he understood, as he noted the week leading up to the game he was the “bad guy” coming to town trying to end Detroit’s season.

“It’s a playoff game,” he said. “I’m not surprised that they were excited about cheering for their team, and I’m not too worried about anybody’s personal feelings towards to me that was sitting in the stands.”