Matthew Stafford Is Ready for Any Type of Reception in Dramatic Return to Detroit

Matthew Stafford is making his highly anticipated return to Ford Field on Sunday night when his Los Angeles Rams face his former team—the Detroit Lions—in the wild-card round.

So, what kind of reception does the quarterback expect to have when he walks into the stadium where he played from 2009-20? He isn’t completely sure.

“I think the biggest thing for me is to go experience whatever that experience is going to be,” Stafford told reporters on Wednesday. “I understand what the people of Detroit, what the city of Detroit meant to me in my time in my career, what they meant to my family. I hope they feel that back. 

“But, at the same time, I’m not a stranger to the situation in understanding that I’m the bad guy coming to town. I’m on the other team, they don’t want success from me. So, whatever happens, happens.”

Earlier this week, one social media account run by a Lions supporter, @TheDetroitLine, urged other fans to not wear Stafford jerseys to Sunday’s matchup. Stafford’s wife Kelly called the proposed jersey ban “sad.”

Stafford, however, plans to block out the noise at kickoff Sunday in his mission to help the Rams advance to the divisional round.