“Matthew and I – our marriage is hard.” That’s what Kelly Stafford, wife of Rams star Matthew Stafford, said and honestly, it’s refreshing to hear someone be so real about marriage. Think about it: she is married to a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, raising four kids, constantly moving for his career, and living in the public eye. That’s a lot and goes perfectly with the saying: “Marriage takes work.” Yet somehow, the college sweethearts have managed to keep their relationship strong and full of life. And it’s easier to wonder: what’s the secret? 

Kelly calls it “Keeping her marriage spicy,” at least that’s what the caption of her Instagram story read. Those who don’t particularly keep up with Kelly might struggle to grasp the meaning behind those words. After all, the Instagram story featured nothing more than a close-up shot of her wearing a satin headwrap and oversized reading glasses– an ideal look for unwinding after a long, tiring day. 

But why wasn’t she sleeping? Sounds a bit odd to ask, right? Kelly said it herself when a fan asked for marriage advice during the Ask Us Anything episode of her The Morning After podcast. “Don’t go to bed angry at each other. Just don’t do it. If you need to talk it out for four hours and it’s 8:00 and you’re not going to bed till midnight. Do it,” she said. Though it may sound like a cliche, Kelly assured it works.

It is something that she and Matthew weren’t great at, when they started, as they used to fight over random things. “We fought over bu*****t because there was nothing to really fight about. So you know, you gotta spice up your relationship, you fight over random s***,” she shared further. And when that spicing-up worked, she made sure they had resolved the argument before sleeping, even if it meant pushing Matthew to stay up a little longer. 

Kelly realized the significance of this rule, especially after having kids. Getting back to her Instagram story, she could be hinting at one of those nights when she and Matthew were staying up late. Perhaps, to resolve any disagreement on something random. Or maybe it was one of those nights where they were just reminiscing about their early days, which certainly didn’t kick off with love at first sight. 

Kelly Stafford’s surprising admission about Matthew Stafford

It’s been a decade that Kelly and Matthew have been together and in the words of Lala Kent, “They do not make marriages like that anymore.” But what’s funny is that Kelly never imagined she would end up with Matthew in the first place. She even admitted that she didn’t expect to fall for him when they first met. It became known in June 2024 that their story wasn’t a fairy tale from the start when she admitted dating Matthew’s backup quarterback just to get under his skin.  

During an appearance on the Off the Vine podcast with Kristin Bristowe, she got pretty candid about how things started between them back in college in Georgia. Perhaps, a little too candid! “I hated him, I loved him. I dated the backup to piss him off, which worked,” she admitted. And no, Kelly didn’t reveal the name of this mystery backup QB. She also recounted how they lived in the same dorm and how Matthew would see her car there. At one point, he even followed her to her card and told her, “He’s not right for you.” She found it hilarious and felt like her plan was working.

Turns out she didn’t get the reactions she was hoping for after sharing the story. Things got so messy that she actually had to apologize to the backup and his family, making it clear he had nothing to do with it. Regardless of how things turn out between her and Matthew, looking back now, it shaped the strong bond they share today. “I really wasn’t expecting to fall for him, but he was so adorable and so witty, very smart, just smart, and could constantly make me laugh. So I let my guard down a little bit and thank goodness, cause here we are now,” Kelly confessed on the Give Them Lala podcast, hosted by Kent. 

She doesn’t regret a single thing about her past. Not even dating the backup quarterback, who once got into her car and refused to leave. In fact, Kelly strongly believes that every twist and turn in her journey played a role in bringing her and Matthew together. And together, they have grown and evolved in ways that are often hard to see in many relationships.