When Kelly Stafford first saw Matthew Stafford leading the Georgia Bulldogs team, she knew he could be the one. However, being a quarterback for an SEC team, settling down was not in Stafford’s book. Fast forward 18 years since they first met, and the husband and wife are going strong. As the Los Angeles Rams vie for a playoff spot and 2025 wraps up, Kelly has once again shown her loud love for Stafford.

“Feeling good about 2026, knowing that we will be facing it together. ❤️ love you @matthewstafford,” Kelly captioned her latest Instagram reel.

The clip showed Matthew with their four daughters being the family man that he has always been. From cuddling, listening, going on hikes, home workouts, to celebrations, the video showed Stafford in the best light. But it was Kelly’s message that became the highlight.

“People might not feel the same, but I need my husband,” Kelly wrote in a floating text on the reel. “Because the life and family we’re building weren’t designed to be carried alone.

“I bring the heart, the warmth, the feeling of home. He brings the strength behind it – the long days, the unseen sacrifices, the protection and provision that allow our moments of joy to exist. I build the memories. He builds the foundation beneath them. There’s no competition here, no keeping score…only balance.

“This marriage works because we chose each other, need each other, show up for each other, and are stronger together.”

The Staffords’ story wasn’t easy or perfect. The initial love-hate teenage drama now looks like a whisper compared to what the two have gone through in their 17-plus year together and a decade of marriage.

Matthew and Kelly have gone through the trade, the birth of four daughters, and much more together. But the biggest nightmare of them all, though, would be Kelly’s brain tumor, which she revealed in April 2019.

After some difficulties in daily routines and episodes of vertigo, she underwent an MRI to learn she had a case of an acoustic neuroma or vestibular schwannoma. A six-hour surgery was extended to twelve hours when the doctor discovered an “abnormal vein” that also needed attention at the University of Michigan Hospital. All this while, Matthew watched her relearn basic functions. Something he does to date.

Seeing this heartfelt confession by Kelly, Fox Sports and TNF host Charissa Thompson left a teary-eyed comment: “Kel, this is so beautiful 🥹❤️.”

Thompson recently swore off marriage after two divorces, speaking on Kylie Kelce’s podcast that she “married the wrong people, plural.” But seeing two people perfect for each other, challenging every storm coming their way, hits differently even for her.

Kelly Stafford’s timing wasn’t random either. Just days earlier, as the Rams dropped a heartbreaker to the Seattle Seahawks, their four daughters wore custom “MVD” (Most Valuable Dad) hats she’d made. Matthew threw for 457 yards and three touchdowns. The scoreboard said loss, but his girls didn’t care.

In the same game where the Rams’ NFC West title hopes hung by a thread, and the opponents won by one point due to a late, controversial call, Kelly didn’t stay back either. She called out the refs for the same later on social media. Flashbacks to her throwing a pretzel at a fan during Stafford’s Lions era, anyone?

Despite being on the verge of being called the most hated WAG, Kelly doesn’t hide when she knows someone should speak about it. But this latest post by Kelly captured something different.

In fact, Kelly posts Matthew’s milestones and content on their personal lives all the time, proving that she is all-in for her husband, even after ten years of marriage.

A marriage that has survived a decade through career chaos and four kids under pressure. Ten years in, the Staffords aren’t just staying together, they’re building something permanent.

A decade of partnership, two decades of love: Matthew & Kelly Stafford

The Staffords’ story was always messy. They met at the University of Georgia in 2006. At the time, Matthew was a freshman quarterback, and Kelly was a cheerleader. Their early days were rocky. Kelly once admitted she dated Matthew’s backup “to piss him off” during an on-and-off phase. It worked, and they officially started dating in 2009.

April 2015 brought their Easter weekend wedding in Atlanta with a small group of people. They had their first twins, Sawyer and Chandler, on March 31, 2017, and a third daughter in August 2018. But then came the real tests.

Kelly was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor in April 2019. Three weeks after announcing the unfortunate news, she also updated her fans that her surgery was successful and that she is trying to adjust to her life again. Just a year down the line, the couple had another huge news: Kelly was pregnant again. The two welcomed their fourth daughter of the Stafford sister squad, Tyler Hall Stafford, on June 26, 2020.

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However, being together for at least two decades with four daughters isn’t easy. Matthew and Kelly have had phases where their marriage took a backseat. In 2021, the licensed nurse confessed about the quarterback not feeling prioritized and that the two had to work together to be the same happy couple again.

Fast forward to December 2025, and Matthew is leading the Rams deep into playoff contention with an 11-4 record heading into Week 17. He is strengthening his case for an MVP title with every game. Meanwhile, his family sits in the stands every home game to show their support.

They’ve survived his trade from the Detroit Lions to Los Angeles. They’ve battled Kelly’s health crisis and are raising four daughters under championship pressure. And now, they’re staring down 2026 with matching energy. Kelly’s confession wasn’t about perfection; it was about showing up.

That’s not just a love story. It’s a masterclass.