Kembali
The Los Angeles Rams have had a wildly disappointing start to the 2026 NFL season. A plethora of moves in the offseason had them looking like the clear favorites heading into the year, but through eight weeks, they haven’t been as thoroughly dominant as most imagined.
Instead, at 4-4, with injuries ravaging the roster, they are in a race to crawl out of the division itself. Now, superstar quarterback Matthew Stafford’s wife Kelly is pointing out another roadblock in the Rams’ quest for glory.
With the additions of Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie, and Aaron Donald, the Rams became an extremely top-heavy team. But when injuries strike down your elite talents, trouble’s a-comin’. Garrett, Donald, Puka Nacua, and Davante Adams have all missed time this year.
For Kelly, though, one of the biggest problems comes in the form of the schedule. As the season stretched to 18 weeks with 17 games and a bye week, the wear and tear on the players’ bodies understandably increased.
That’s where her complaints came in about the Rams’ schedule this year and the placement of their bye week, which gives the team comparatively less rest than a team typically gets from their week off.
The Rams settle in for their bye week in Week 11 after facing the Arizona Cardinals, which gives them 10 days of rest.
“Just curious to hear the thought process behind making the Rams the only team in the NFL without a true bye week,” she questioned.
She then added, “Because after 18 years around this league, even I need a week off during the season…and I have never played a single snap. I’m tired just watching from the stands. Can’t imagine how the guys feel. Anyway, feel free to leave that explanation right here.”
Some fans, though, didn’t take too kindly to her criticism, withone fan pointing out, “Too bad it ain’t about you,” while another fan was tired of hearing from her, claiming, “She’s always complaining.”
However, one fan set about refuting her claim, as they explained, “Green Bay has the same exact bye week AND TWO TNF short weeks, btw.”
But not everyone was against the problem Stafford was pointing to, as one fan conceded, “She might not be the best spokesperson, but she’s right.”
Another fan added, “Kelly Stafford has a point. The Rams get 10 days instead of 14, and Green Bay uses the same Week 11 bye to line up a possible Micah Parsons return. Wild setup for Thanksgiving Eve.”
The most nuanced opinion came froma fan who explained why it was a double-edged sword, stating, “She’s going to get hate, but she’s right. Wednesday games are stupid, and the only way to do it is to ruin someone’s bye.”
On the other hand, he explained the merit of the situation, adding, “However, the players are able to then enjoy their Thanksgiving more than they normally would, at least… so I think once they realize that they’ll be fine.”
It remains to be seen if the league can find a workaround for this situation in the coming years. But for the time being, it is an unfortunate reality that the Rams are going to have to deal with over the next month, as they try to right the ship after their slow start to the season.