Rams QB Matthew Stafford and wife Kelly’s children wear ‘Detroit Born LA Raised’ jackets in his emotional return to the Motor City for playoff matchup with Lions three years after his trade

As their father made an emotional return to the Motor City for Sunday’s playoff game against his former team, the children of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford were seen wearing “Detroit Born LA Raised” jackets as they entered the stadium with their mother, Kelly .

Twin Stafford girls Sawyer and Chandler were introduced by their mother to Lions team owner Martha Firestone Ford, who got an early glimpse of the jackets adorned with the Dodgers’ “LA” logo.

Stafford had spent 12 years in Detroit after the Lions selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft before ultimately trading him to the LA Rams.

Stafford was even traded for current Lions starting QB Jared Goff, adding a level of intrigue to the playoff game.

Stafford also received a plea from Detroit native and legendary rapper Eminem, who asked the QB for a “favor” and if he could “give us this.”

Matthew Stafford’s children wore jackets that said “Detroit Born LA Raised” on the back

Stafford and the Rams took on the Lions on Sunday at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

While Stafford remains beloved in Detroit since his time with the Lions, the two-time Pro Bowler received exactly the kind of hostile welcome an opponent would expect before entering a playoff game.

Not only was Stafford greeted with a stadium full of boos as he ran onto the field for the final time during pregame activities, but he and the Rams offense were aggressively booed as they took the field for their first drive of the game.

Ahead of the game, Stafford told the Rams’ official website that he wasn’t necessarily expecting a positive reception upon his return to his former home.

“I don’t expect anything, to be honest,” Stafford said. ‘…I think the most important thing for me is to just experience whatever that experience is going to be. I understand what the people of Detroit and what the city of Detroit meant to me and my time and my career, what they meant to my family, I hope they reflect on that.”

“But at the same time, I’m no stranger to the situation because I understand that I’m the bad guy coming to town,” he added.

Stafford’s wife Kelly also had some words ahead of her husband’s return to Detroit, after commenting on an alleged jersey ban ahead of the game. The alleged ban was created by fans and had nothing to do with the team.

“Please don’t wear a Lions-Stafford jersey to the game,” read one post on Instagram. “This is not the time to be cute or funny. This is about business and about putting the final nail in the SOL coffin. …It’s not personal. Just business!’

Kelly responded to the post in the comments by saying, “This is sad because it’s the complete opposite of how we feel about this town, but Matthew has always been and will continue to be the bigger person,” she wrote. ‘Praying for an incredible match without injuries.’

Some fans wore jerseys with Stafford’s name blacked out after ‘jersey ban’

Stafford spent the first twelve seasons of his NFL career as a quarterback for the Detroit Lions

She became one of the few high-profile wives around the NFL after her battle with a brain tumor was made public in 2019.

The mother-of-three had her benign tumor removed in a 30-hour operation before she endured a grueling recovery period plagued by problems with her balance.

Kelly and Matthew first met at the University of Georgia, where he was the star quarterback and she was a cheerleader.

Stafford was selected by the Lions with the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

The couple married in 2015 and now share twins Sawyer and Chandler, as well as daughter Hunter.