Kelly Stafford recently spoke about a personal connection she shares with NFL brothers Jason and Travis Kelce – one that traces back to her own family.
Appearing on the Sunday Sports Club podcast on August 31, hosted by influencer Allison Kuch, Kelly was asked a rapid-fire question about whether she preferred the Kelce brothers or the Mannings – specifically, Peyton and Cooper.
“I’m going to go [the] Kelce brothers, Jason and Travis, we actually go far back,” said Kelly, 36, who is married to longtime NFL quarterback Matthew Stafford. “My brother [Chad Hall] played with Jason in the Eagles and so we got to know them a little bit.”
Chad Hall, now 39, was part of the Philadelphia Eagles roster from 2011 to 2012, where he played as a wide receiver and return specialist alongside Jason Kelce.
After Kelly made her pick, Kuch commented on the Kelce family’s likable reputation. “They seem like a fun family,” she said, to which Kelly responded, “They’re great. I just know them a little more than I know the Manning brothers,” before moving the conversation along.
A personal history with football families and fame
This wasn’t Kelly’s first time referencing the Kelce brothers publicly. In November 2024, she credited Travis Kelce‘s high-profile relationship with pop star Taylor Swift as part of the reason her podcast The Morning After saw a spike in attention.
Speaking on Jana Kramer‘s Whine Down podcast, Kelly explained how a recurring segment on her show – known as the Tuesday “Timeout” – benefited from the new wave of female fans tuning into football culture.
“The ‘Timeout’ is literally thanks to Taylor Swift because she’s gotten a lot of women into football,” she said.
Kelly and Matthew leaned into the Swift-Kelce phenomenon for Halloween that year, dressing up as the celebrity couple in a nod to their joint appearance at the U.S. Open. Their daughters – twins Sawyer and Chandler, 8, Hunter, 7, and Tyler, 5 – also participated by dressing as different “Taylor Swift eras.”
More recently, Kelly shared a heartfelt and emotional moment on her own podcast. On the August 28 episode of The Morning After, she opened up about the difficulties she and Matthew have been facing with one of their daughters.
“One of my daughters I have been very, very much struggling with. Matthew as well. She has become a little girl that I don’t recognize. Right now, I’m trying to be mild with it,” she said, holding back tears during the episode.
Kelly also revealed the behavioral changes have started to affect the child’s sports activities. “Disrespecting coaches and not listening, giving attitude, walking away while they’re talking to her,” she described.
Kelly and Matthew have been married since April 2015, after meeting as students at the University of Georgia in 2009. Since then, their lives have remained deeply connected to football – on and off the field.
Read the full article here
