Kelly Stafford, the wife of Los Angeles Rams star Matthew Stafford, made clear that she believed it is “highly disrespectful” to her husband when he is called “Matt.”
The reigning NFL MVP is listed on rosters and databases as “Matthew,” but sometimes broadcasters will use “Matt” colloquially during games or as they analyze his plays for the Rams. But Kelly Stafford addressed the topic in a Q&A session on her Instagram Stories on Thursday.
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and his wife Kelly attend game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif., on April 21, 2026. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images)
“When people don’t know him, they call him Matt,” she wrote, via the California Post. “What gets me is that he’s been playing in the league now for close to two decades and people who have jobs reporting on it, still call him Matt.
“I find it highly disrespectful, but honestly kinda goes along with Matthew’s whole career.”
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford leaves the field after the 2026 NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash., on Jan. 25, 2026. (Steven Bisig/Imagn Images)
Stafford is far from the only quarterback in the NFL who has ever had his name shortened. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is often referred to as just “Pat Mahomes,” though his father was an MLB pitcher who went by that particular name.
The NFL veteran put together one of his best years in the league on his way to his first MVP award.
He had 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes – leading the league in both categories. However, Los Angeles lost in the NFC Championship to the Seattle Seahawks, 31-27. The Seahawks won the Super Bowl back in February.
Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams stands on the field before the NFC Championship game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash., on Jan. 25, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
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The Rams are one of the favorites to return to the Super Bowl. Stafford led the team to a title in 2021.
