Matthew Stafford's wife Kelly posts worrisome health update months after her podcast break began

In Oct. 2025, when Matthew Stafford’s big games were on the brink, his wife, Kelly, said she would take a podcast break. The Morning After podcast host said, “I feel like we all can lean on each other now. I leaned on you guys. I hope you leaned on this podcast, either for laughter or just to realize that not everything is perfect and it doesn’t have to be.For right now, just for somewhat of my mental health, and its also midseason, there has been changes in this podcast. I just think I need to take a step back and kind of figure out what the plan is. I’m not saying this is over. I really need a second.” The break is still on. But her health has reportedly deteriorated. Marca’s SAM reported that in an Instagram Story, Kelly shared a quiet family moment with the caption, “Been pretty sick… but got out of bed to snuggle and watch our new fav sport.” In the IG Story, Matthew and his three daughters were snuggled together on the couch while Kelly filmed from beside them, curled up with the fourth daughter.The new sport was curling, a Winter Olympics ice team sport where two teams of four players each slide 20kg granite stones toward a circular target called the “house.” It is popularly called “chess on ice.” Kelly enjoyed this game while sharing her worrying health update. She had been unwell and bedridden but got up to enjoy some valuable family time watching a Winter Olympic game.In Jan. 2019, after a massage, Kelly felt lightheaded, as if everything was spinning around her. She immediately texted Matthew to pick her up. She got into the car, felt better, and drove herself home. A week later, it happened again. She told ESPN that once, while holding her daughter Hunter, she felt like she was going to go down. She almost threw Hunter at Matthew to keep her from falling. Matthew insisted she get checked. An ER visit led to vertigo medication, but it did not help. An MRI showed an acoustic neuroma, a noncancerous brain tumor affecting her cranial nerves and causing her symptoms. The technical term is benign vestibular schwannoma. Kelly underwent a successful 12-hour surgery in 2019 to remove the tumor. Doctors warned her of 50 percent hearing loss and facial function loss. The doctors told her that she would take about a year to feel symptom-free and have the same energy like before. In April 2021, she shared on Instagram that she had a clean scan, two years after her diagnosis. In April 2019, she had a 12-hour long surgery for her brain tumor, in March 2020, the couple announced they were expecting their fourth baby.