Rams QB Matthew Stafford reveals how a joke with 49ers almost cost him his draft stock

On Wednesday's episode of Travis and Jason Kelce's "New Heights" podcast, LA Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford revealed that a joke he made during an interview with the San Francisco 49ers almost negatively impacted his 2009 NFL draft stock.

Stafford outlined how his meeting with the 49ers involved a session with a team "psychologist or psychiatrist," where he was asked about his familial situation. Stafford responded by explaining how his parents were divorced and the "psychologist or psychiatrist" replied by asking if he wanted to talk about it.

After declining, Stafford insinuated that the meeting did not go as planned and fell apart, something that led to his almost costly joke.

"Well, my 12 minutes with the Niners at that point was — it was like, I wanted to know how much of the prorated hour I owed them after my 12 minutes," Stafford said. " So I had to fly out there and, like, just kind of shake hands and be like, 'Listen, man, I didn't mean anything by it. It was supposed to be a joke, but yeah.'"

A prorated hour refers to the amount of money someone earns hourly and is adjusted accordingly to how short or long that period was. Stafford's comments proved that the meeting was not a long one, even though he was one of the top players available in the draft.

Matthew Stafford's draft stock did not change

Matthew Stafford's draft stock remained the same after the interaction. In the 2009 NFL draft, he was selected No. 1 overall by the Detroit Lions. Since then, he has become one of the best QBs in the league and is a Super Bowl Champion. Stafford is known for his elite accuracy and strong arm, and has the ability to read defensive schemes and run an offensive unit with ease.

However, the moment highlighted how transactional NFL draft interviews can be. Stafford believed that the meeting did not go well with the 49ers, which led him to joke about being charged for it for almost wasting their time, in a similar way a lawyer charges.

However, Stafford made it clear that it was a joke, likely directed towards himself and how poor he thought the interview went for his chances of being drafted by the historic franchise.

Despite the draft process scare, things have worked out well for Stafford in his career and he appears to be set for another great season with the LA Rams.