Matthew Stafford

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is not a fan of Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph, especially not after what unfolded in their NFC Wild Card Round matchup on Sunday.

After Joseph hit Tyler Higbee low during the fourth quarter of Detroit's 24-23 win, leaving the Rams tight end injured, Stafford went up to the Lions safety and told him he's "dirty as f--k."

"Hey, that's a good hit. That's a good hit. You dirty as f--k though and you know it," Stafford said. "You dirty as f--k. It's been on tape. I've seen it."

During the fourth quarter of Sunday's matchup, Higbee was trying to make a catch across the middle of the field when Joseph hit his right leg with his helmet. Higbee's knee bent awkwardly and he limped off the field before being ruled out.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport confirmed Tuesday that Higbee suffered a torn ACL and "faces a challenge to be ready for the start of next season."

It's possible Stafford was referencing a previous hit Joseph laid on Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson earlier in the season.

During the third quarter of a Dec. 24 matchup between the Lions and Vikings, Joseph hit Hockenson low with his helmet—the tackle is eerily similar to the one he laid on Higbee—and the Minnesota tight end limped off the field before being ruled out for the season with a torn ACL and MCL.

Amid backlash from fans for his latest hit that injured Higbee, Joseph posted on social media that he had no intention of hurting the Rams tight end and that he's praying for his recovery:

Lions head coach Dan Campbell also came to Joseph's defense, saying the play was not a dirty one:

While Higbee faces a lengthy recovery, Joseph and the Lions are now preparing for a divisional round matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who upset the Philadelphia Eagles 32-9 in the wild card round on Monday.

Matthew Stafford spent his first 12 NFL seasons in Detroit resetting the Lions' franchise passing record book, but his return Sunday night as a Los Angeles Ram was not a particularly warm homecoming.

Lions fans booed Stafford when he took the field, and the Rams quarterback offered a terse response when asked about the city of Detroit after the Lions' 24-23 win over Los Angeles.

That said, Stafford did not appear to take the situation too personally.

"It's a playoff game. I'm not surprised that they were excited about cheering for their team. I'm not too worried about anybody's personal feelings towards me that was sitting in the stands," Stafford added.

Detroit was hosting its first playoff game in 30 years, so it's understandable that fans were ready to give Rams players a full-throated chorus of boos—even if one of those players was a franchise legend.

On the other hand, the divorce between Stafford and the Lions was about as amicable as possible and the Detroit faithful should arguably be thanking him. Without Stafford pushing for an exit, the Lions never would have acquired their current franchise quarterback (Jared Goff) or be able to jockey around in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft to bring in running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

The deal was a rare NFL win-win, with the Rams hoisting a Lombardi Trophy in Stafford's first season with the franchise (2021) while the Lions used the trade to build a roster that may wind up winning a title of its own.

Odds are Stafford will have a much nicer reception when he returns to Detroit after his playing career to get his rightful induction into the team's ring of honor.

The Los Angeles Rams season came to an end Sunday night at the hands of the Detroit Lions 24-23 in a wild-card matchup.

The Rams had a magical ending to their season, winning seven of their final eight games to will their way into the playoffs, but they ultimately didn't have enough to get past the Lions.

Despite the loss, the Rams gave fans plenty to look forward to next season — mostly the connection between quarterback Matthew Stafford and rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua.

In his return to Detroit, Stafford had 367 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns. Most of his completions went to Nacua, who recorded the most passing yards by a rookie in his first playoff game with 181 yards. He also had a touchdown.

The big performance from the Rams' duo drew plenty of praise from NFL fans despite the loss.

The Rams didn't get the result they wanted on Sunday, but it's clear they have found a special duo in the veteran Stafford and the rising star Nacua. Now, Los Angeles will head into the offseason to begin preparations for what should be an exciting 2024 season.

Matthew Stafford didn't receive a warm welcome from Detroit Lions fans ahead of the team's matchup with the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round.

Stafford heard boos from the Detroit crowd as he took the field prior to the game, as the 35-year-old passer spent the first 12 years of his career with the Lions.

Although the team made just three postseason appearances with Stafford under center, the former No. 1 overall pick achieved several impressive individual accomplishments with the Lions prior to his departure.

The former Comeback Player of the Year currently holds franchise records for completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, and wins by a starting quarterback.

However, Stafford's exit from the team was abrupt. He was traded to the Rams in Jan. 2021 for a package that consisted of Jared Goff, a third-round pick, and two first-round picks. Stafford immediately excelled in his new environment, helping Los Angeles earn a Super Bowl victory in his first season with the team.

When asked about the potential reception he would be expecting from his old fanbase, the veteran signal-caller told reporters that he'd be prepared for any reaction.

"I'm not expecting anything, to be honest with you," Stafford said, per Stu Jackson of the team's official website. "... I think the biggest thing for me is just go 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 feel that back."

"But at the same time, I'm not a stranger to the situation in understanding that I'm the bad guy coming to town," he added.

Stafford will be attempting to stop the Lions from earning their first playoff win since the 1991 season.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford doesn't seem to have retirement on his mind.

The 35-year-old is currently gearing up for the Rams Wild Card Round matchup against the Detroit Lions, his former team. While he has appeared to be a year-to-year player due to his injury history, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on NFL GameDay that Stafford is feeling better than he has in a while and has no thoughts of hanging his cleats up.

"Last year, he ended the season prematurely, neck and concussions issues, which is bad, but it also meant he went into the offseason with no elbow issues," Rapoport said. "That had been a theme over the last several years for Stafford. Talking to people close to him, what that meant was he was able to rehab, rest and get his arm as strong as it could be. He is vintage Matthew Stafford. These people who have seen Stafford for years say he's throwing the ball as well as has in a very long time, one reason why he has no plans to retire."

Stafford is finishing out his 15th NFL season and his 2023 was an excellent step forward after an injury-riddled 2022. He threw for 3,965 yards with 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and helped lead the Rams back to the playoffs. He started 15 of the team's 17 games and led the Rams to a 9-6 record in that time.

This came after he only played in nine games in 2022 after leading Los Angeles to a Super Bowl LVI victory in 2021. The injuries that derailed his 2022 made his long-term future look bleak, but his strong recovery and consistent statements of his desire to keep playing support Rapoport's report.

He is under contract through the 2026 season, although there is a potential out after 2025, and would save the Rams from a significant dead cap hit if he were to play out the remainder of his contract. If he were to continue to play at this high level, Los Angeles will remain a threat in the NFC for the next several seasons.

Before that however, Stafford will look to spoil the Lions first home playoff game since 1993. That game is set to kick off Sunday at 8:15 P.M. ET.

There will be no shortage of storylines for Sunday's playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions, especially since the two quarterbacks were traded for each other in 2021.

And Jared Goff hasn't forgotten.

The Lions signal-caller said there is "of course" still a chip on his shoulder from Los Angeles' decision to trade him to Detroit to land Matthew Stafford.

"I think it'll never leave me, and I think that's a good thing," he added, per ESPN's Eric Woodyard.

It wasn't a one-for-one trade, as the Rams sent Goff, two first-round draft picks and a third-round draft pick to the Lions for Stafford.

And they would surely do so again, as Stafford led his new team to a Super Bowl title in his first season as a starter. Goff also led Los Angeles to the Super Bowl during the 2018 campaign, but his team lost to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

"He deserved better than the way that it all went down," Rams head coach Sean McVay said of Goff and the trade. "I'll acknowledge that. And I think he knows that too. And I'm not afraid to admit to those things, but I think we're all better being able to look back on those things. And I do have more appreciation for him as time goes on."

Goff now has the opportunity to eliminate his former team on a national stage in the postseason and become a Lions legend in the process.

Detroit hasn't won a playoff game since the 1991 season and hasn't hosted a postseason game since the 1993 campaign. Both of those things can change Sunday if Goff plays like he has for much of the season.

He completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 4,575 yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while leading the Lions to an NFC North crown.

And he apparently did it all while being motivated by a chip on his shoulder.

There will surely be plenty of strange emotions for Detroit Lions fans during Sunday's playoff game, as it is the team's first home postseason contest since the 1994 campaign but will come against a franchise legend.

Matthew Stafford's Los Angeles Rams will be the opponent, and the quarterback's wife, Kelly, believes it is "sad" that at least one Lions fan attempted to organize a ban of Detroit fans wearing his jersey for Sunday's contest.

As TMZ Sports detailed, a fan wrote the following on Instagram: "ANNOUNCEMENT. Please don't wear a Lions-Stafford jersey to the game. This is not a time to be cute or funny."

Kelly Stafford responded by saying, "Well this is sad because it's the completely opposite of how we feel about this city, but Matthew has always been the bigger person and will continue to be that. Praying for an incredible game with zero injuries."

For what it's worth, the fan wrote back and said, "We love Matthew, just not this week."

Stafford played for the Lions from 2009 through 2020 and threw for more than 4,000 yards eight different times. He even led the franchise to the playoffs three times, which was no easy task given the organization's history.

He remains a popular figure among the fanbase even after he was traded to the Rams and won a Super Bowl in Los Angeles, but the Detroit supporters will surely be cheering against him Sunday.

Even if some of them wear his jersey.