Detroit Lions fans were willing to do just about anything to get into their divisional round playoff game against the Washington Commanders. One fan even sold his autographed Matthew Stafford jersey to afford tickets, but he eventually got an upgrade thanks to Stafford himself.
With the Lions coming off a 15-2 season and entering the postseason as Super Bowl favorites, tickets for the divisional round matchup were through the roof. That’s why Lions fan Bryson Machonga sold an autographed Stafford jersey he’d had for over a decade just to take his 8-year-old daughter to the game.
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Unfortunately for Machonga and the rest of the Lions fans, the game didn’t go their way. Washington upset Detroit, 45-31, but it wasn’t all bad news for Machonga.
Machonga’s story wound up in the Detroit Free Press, and Stafford happened to catch wind of it. Now with the Los Angeles Rams, Stafford sent Machonga an autographed, game-worn jersey from the 2014 season, when he led the Lions to an 11-5 record.
“It just reconfirmed who Matthew Stafford is,” Machonga said. “He had no reason to go about doing this. He had no gain. He’s not our quarterback anymore … he went out of his way in a playoff week.”
The Lions drafted Stafford with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, and he spent the first 12 years of his career in Detroit. While the Lions didn’t have a ton of success on the field with Stafford as their quarterback, he remains a franchise icon.
Stafford was traded to the Rams in 2021, but he remains the Lions’ all-time leader in passing yards (45,109) and passing touchdowns (282).
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