“He didn’t really say a word.” It was an awkward first impression of Matthew Stafford for Kelly’s sister, Jenny Hall. She thought he was “quiet” and “didn’t care,” and that he should be “bending over backwards to get to know the older sister.” Things did not work the way Jenny thought they would. She had a negative impression of him instantly and thought he was standoffish, even telling Kelly later that “this guy thinks he’s awesome.”

Since then, a wedding, a tumor, 4 kids, and an aggravated disc have occurred. Kelly has been candid about her life and marriage in her podcast The Morning After and has spoken openly about her relationship with Matthew Stafford. In one episode, she said, “Marriage is f—— hard. Anyone who tells you differently is f—— lying through their teeth… It becomes tougher and tougher with the more things thrown your way. They’ve been through it all in the 10 years of their marriage, yet through every challenge, they’ve managed to grow stronger together. They’ve prioritized family before anything.

Jenny also has a son who has grown up a lot since then. And the two families, the Halls and the Staffords, have been encouraging each other more than they would have expected at the first meeting. Kelly took to Instagram to share how far her nephew, Trent, has come. The story featured a repost from @jrgladiatorsfootball that had Trent on the front cover of a poster with the caption “Let’s go, Trent! QB1.”

The family is a football family for sure. After all, Kelly’s brother, Chad Hall, was a former WR who played for the Eagles, 49ers, Chiefs, and Jaguars in his career. And this year, he’s entering his first season as Assistant Quarterbacks Coach for the Giants. We wouldn’t be surprised if his coaching extended into the Hall Family tree. If Matthew Stafford wasn’t waging battles of his own, he could have also chipped in.

Matthew Stafford may not make it before Week 1

“Running on the treadmill. Sometimes it might even be walking,” shared Sean McVay when asked for an update on Matthew Stafford’s injury. Stafford has a lot to do before he can join the guys on the field. His rehab, although reported to be progressing well, is slow. It’s not a good look for the Rams when your QB1 is still struggling with functionality less than a month away from the regular season. While McVay has said that his focus is on ensuring that Stafford is healthy for Week 1, will he be able to play by then?

As per ESPN’s Sarah Bishop, all will be revealed tomorrow. On her X page, she posted, “Sean McVay said Matthew Stafford will go through a workout on Saturday and if that goes well, he will be back at practice on Monday. McVay said if Stafford was dealing with this aggravated disc in his back during the season, he would be playing in a game.” There’s no doubt: If Matthew Stafford wasn’t injured, he would play. However, that isn’t the reality at the moment.

Would the Rams want to risk rushing his recovery? It all comes down to what the workout on Saturday will tell. Even if he does come back on Monday, McVay has already said that he will not appear for joint practices, leaving those duties to Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett. The Rams will have to err on the side of caution with Stafford. If things are not looking good on Saturday, they shouldn’t push to have him available for week 1. Although fans may be disappointed, it’s the right choice for the QB.