Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford acknowledged the importance of Monday night’s playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings amid a natural disaster at home.
The Rams-Vikings game was moved from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., due to the wildfires that hit the Los Angeles area. The Rams practiced once at their facility before traveling to Arizona to prepare for the game.
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, #9, throws against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half of an NFL playoff football game Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Glendale, Wash. Arizona. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Rams fans still showed up to the stadium and supported their team as they won the game 27-9.
“There was definitely every excuse possible to come here and be lethargic and woe is me and all that, but we knew we weren’t playing fair to ourselves,” he told reporters via Pro Football Talk. “I was playing for people at home who needed something to watch and enjoy and I’m glad we could give them that.”
Stafford was among the players and coaches who supported the Los Angeles Fire Department before and during the game, wearing shirts that read “LAFD.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke about the decision to move the game earlier on Monday.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford answers a question during a news conference after an NFL football playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
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“What the people of Los Angeles are going through, the devastation, the loss, the grief that we all feel for them, we knew the game couldn’t be played there by Thursday,” he said on ESPN . “Public safety and any compromise was not something we did. And we wanted to make sure the first responders were focused on taking care of the people who are struggling so much out there.
“When we made this decision, the league came together. We have preparations or what we call contingency plans that include two stadiums every week, and that was a perfect fit in terms of where the fans would be placed. Los Angeles Rams, and I’m proud to say that 45,000 of them have made the trip here, which is just amazing. Everyone has come together and Michael Bidwell and the Cardinals are in. head of list.
Before the game, the Rams were among 12 teams in the Los Angeles and Anaheim area that announced a combined $8 million donation to those affected by the wildfires.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, #9, throws before an NFL playoff football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The money will be used to support the victims and those fighting the fires. The American Red Cross, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, California Fire Foundation, Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund, World Central Kitchen, California Community Foundation Wildlife Recovery Fund, Team Rubicon and several other local community organizations animal rescue were designated as recipients of the donation.
