Matthew Stafford returns to his family’s old hometown for the start of the NFL season, but his wife Kelly will not be present.

In a recent episode of her podcast The morning afterKelly, 34, explained why she won’t be in the crowd when Matthew and the Los Angeles Rams have their season-opening game against the Lions at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, September 8.

“I prefer to watch it at home and remember the incredible time I had there,” Kelly said of Detroit, where Matthew played from 2009 to 2020. “I actually asked my daughters if they wanted to go back and they said no.”

Kelly and Matthew have four daughters together: 7-year-old twins Sawyer and Chandler, Hunter, 5, and Tyler, 4.

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“That’s another reason why we’re not going back to the game, you know?” Kelly continued. “There’s a lot behind it, but I think it’s the better decision for my mental health.”

Kelly and all four daughters were there in January when the Rams traveled to Detroit for a playoff showdown, Matthew’s first trip back to Motown since his trade. After the game – which the Lions won 24-23 – Kelly complained on social media about the treatment of her family and “the fans who booed my kids.”

“My husband doesn’t want to hear that I’m upset or anything,” Kelly explained on the podcast. “I don’t think I would be, because I grew up with this experience, too. You forget that this is football and that this is a big deal in Detroit and all of these things. I forgot that. I was so emotionally involved that I forgot that this is a playoff football game.”

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Kelly continued, “I think I could prepare my daughters better in some ways, but I just don’t think it’s worth it right now. Flying across the country with my daughters is horrible in and of itself. As we all know, traveling with kids is no fun.”

Although she will not attend the game in Detroit, Kelly will be in town the day before to make a stop on her Morning after Live podcast tour.

“After our incredible live show, I’m going to get on a plane and fly home so I can watch it here with my daughters,” Kelly told co-host Hank Winchester“So that’s the plan.”

Matthew and the Los Angeles Rams open the season against Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions on Sunday, September 8th at 8:20 p.m. on NBC’s Football on Sunday evening.