Matthew Stafford and his wife, Kelly, drew fresh attention after they attended Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding in New York City on Friday, July 3. Stafford's appearance was hardly surprising given his long-standing friendship with Kelce.

But it quickly became a talking point online. Photographers spotted the Los Angeles Rams quarterback all suited up and his wife in a green outfit leaving their hotel before they headed to Madison Square Garden.

“Former Detroit Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford got the invitation to Taylor Swift's wedding to Travis Kelce,” as per The US Sun. 

The discussion soon shifted from their appearance to Kelly Stafford's past comments about the NFL's coverage of Swift.

According to a post shared by ML Football, fans pointed out the remarks Kelly made during the 2024 season. Kelly had criticized the amount of attention Swift received during Chiefs games.

"I watched my husband work his a** off & all of these guys who work for the league work their a***** off & all of a sudden they're like the sideshow," Kelly had said.

The Staffords' appearance at the wedding quickly brought those comments back into the spotlight. Their appearance forced some fans to question the change they noticed.

According to ML Football, Kelly had also previously made comments about the coverage Kelce and Swift's engagement got.

"I don't know if I want to see another 4 months of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce coverage," Kelly had commented.

Those remarks were widely shared again after the fans saw the couples arriving at the ceremony. The conversation didn't end there, as social media users continued to weigh in on the Staffords' appearance at the event.

Fans split over the Staffords' appearance

In the same post shared by The US Sun, reactions ranged from jokes to criticism after Matthew and Kelly were seen attending their wedding.

One fan mocked Stafford's relevance in the NFL and called his appearance at Kelce's wedding "the highlight of his career."

A different user criticized the event itself for the stress high-profile guests put the Earth under by traveling in private jets and expensive cars.

"Don't you love how the corporate elites who lecture us on climate change are releasing enough carbon emissions to attend Taylor Swift's wedding that the temperature will rise 5° during a dangerous heat wave?" the X user wrote.

Others aimed their ire at Kelly, pointing to the hypocrisy of her attending the wedding after criticizing it multiple times in the past.

"I want to apologize to every hospitality worker there for his [Matthew Stafford's] wife. The worst human to take care of," they wrote.

Despite the online backlash, Stafford's invitation came as little surprise. The Rams quarterback and Kelce have remained close friends throughout their NFL careers despite never playing for the same team.

Read more at Quarter Back Central!

Written by

Evince Das

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit