The LA Rams’ 2026 season opener is technically a home game, but it’s taking place thousands of miles away in Australia. As Matthew Stafford and company prepare to face the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday, September 10, his wife, Kelly, is already missing him.
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“You know what that backward hat does to me, Matthew…Stop playing games from so far away,” Kelly wrote on her Instagram Story. “It also means he’s ready, which I guess is more important right now.”
Matthew Stafford and Kelly have been each other’s confidants for over two decades. Their story began in the mid-2000s at the University of Georgia, where Matthew was the star quarterback, and Kelly was a cheerleader.
From there on, they went from dating to getting married in 2015, to now being parents of four daughters. Over the years, they have only grown closer to each other, and Kelly often comes out to support her husband in almost all of his NFL games.
However, for the 2026 season, the LA Rams have one of the toughest schedules. While the formula rewards them with nine home games this year, one of those “home” designations is located nearly 8,000 miles away in Australia, where they will face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. When Kelly came across the fixtures, she was stunned.
“Me just now realizing the Rams play in Australia, play on Christmas, play on Thanksgiving Eve, have 7 (possibly more) prime time games, and DON’T HAVE A REAL BYE WEEK. Parenting this season will be such a joy,” Kelly previously wrote on Instagram.
According to reports, Matthew Stafford’s wife travelled to at least 15 out of his 17 regular-season games last season. But at times, maintaining the pace alongside the LA Rams’ schedule has turned out to be chaotic for her as a parent of four.
“We get to the airport, and I have to shower all of them…a lot of hair when you have four girls,” Kelly explained on The Morning After podcast. “It takes a f*** ton of time.”
For the Rams’ 2026 season opener game in Melbourne, Australia, Kelly hasn’t travelled to support her husband. Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford has travelled on a very tight schedule for their game against the 49ers.
The team flew out on Tuesday night, landed Thursday morning, and will fly right back to Los Angeles immediately after Friday’s game. They are spending a total of less than 72 hours down under, with roughly 30 hours spent on a plane.
However, watching Matthew Stafford wearing his hat/cap backwards, it built excitement in Kelly for what might unfold in the game against the 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. After all, there is a general consensus around the Rams community that if Stafford wears a hat backwards, it means business.
Stafford stands as the reigning NFL MVP, having thrown for 4,707 yards in 17 regular-season games last season. Now, as the Rams head into the 2026 season, a similar level of performance is expected from their quarterback.
After all, Stafford will compete for the championship with nearly the same offensive lineup, featuring Puka Nacua and Davante Adams as wide receivers, along with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum in the running back position.