Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford and wife join Angel City FC ownership group

Angel City FC is entering its second NWSL season with a fellow Los Angeles sports star joining the ownership group.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and his wife, Kelly, are now part owners of the soccer club, Angel City FC announced Friday. The Staffords have four daughters and said they are excited to be a part of the team as a family.

"We fell in love with attending an Angel City game last season and wanted our daughters to experience something so important and powerful first-hand," the couple said in a statement. "We have such great respect for the athletes on the field who are playing at the highest level and feel lucky to be able to support such an amazing team in a city that we love so much."

Angel City FC went 8-9-5 in its first NWSL season last year. Goalkeeper DiDi Haračić was third in the league with 70 saves and signed a contract extension in the offseason. In January, the team selected local 18-year-old phenom Alyssa Thompson with the No. 1 overall pick in the NWSL draft.

After winning Super Bowl 56 in his first season with the Rams, Stafford struggled with injury last year. He only played in nine games, passing for 2,087 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Rumors circulated that he was considering retirement, but the 35-year-old insisted he would be returning for his 15th NFL season.

He is the second active NFL player to have a stake in an NWSL team. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, are part of the ownership group for the Kansas City Current.

The NWSL season kicks off Saturday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rams' Matthew Stafford and wife join ownership group of NSWL team