Matthew Stafford Explains Questionable Reaction to Photographer's Fall at Super Bowl Parade

02/22/2022 09:16 pm EST

Matthew Stafford is setting the record straight on his controversial reaction to a photographer's fall at the Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl parade last week. The Rams quarterback appeared on The Morning After With Kelly Stafford podcast, which is hosted by his wife Kelly Stafford. Matthew Stafford said on the podcast said the fall happened "really quickly and suddenly and unexpectedly."

"I wish I had a better reaction in the moment. I didn't," he said, per E! News. "I apologize to her for that. All in all, I'm glad she's doing alright. One of those things that [you] try and train your actions to be a little bit better next time."  Kelly also shared her thoughts on the incident as she was standing by Matthew when it happened. 

"Matthew looked at me and said, 'Check her please,' and turned around," Kelly recalled. "I went straight to her. I could see that she was OK, kind of stayed there, went and got some help." Kelly also said they checked on the photographer after the parade was over. They also sent the photographer, whose name is Kelly Smiley, flowers and continued to check for updates.   

"The next day, we wake up, [she's] not OK. So Matthew actually texted her himself," Kelly said. "And that's kind of where the story ended a bit. But I do know that the reaction that the world saw in that split second, I do know that's not what you wish would have been your reaction."  

Shortly after the incident, the Rams and Staffords released a statement. "We have been in communication with Kelly Smiley since yesterday's incident and we are sorry for what happened," Matthew, Kelly and the Los Angeles Rams said in a statement on Feb. 17. "As we told Kelly, we will be covering all her hospital bills and replacing her cameras. We wish her a speedy recovery."

Smiley announced that she fractured her spine and was recovering in the hospital. A GoFundMe page was launched to help cover the medical expenses, and nearly $48,000 was raised. But Smiley has deleted her Twitter account after some questionable old tweets surfaced online. Former NFL star and, current sports media personality Pat McAfee, who donated $5,000 to Smiley's GoFundMePage, said, "You can't just assume folks who are representing/working on the world's biggest stage have passed any moral background checks like most athletes and others have to pass in this modern world."

Disclosure: PopCulture. is owned by Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.