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Sean McVay tricks Kliff Kingsbury into thinking Cardinals might lose No. 1 pick

Rams coach Sean McVay speaks to the media during the NFL football owners meetings March 26 in Phoenix.
Rams coach Sean McVay speaks to the media during the NFL football owners meetings March 26 in Phoenix.
(Matt York / Associated Press)
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Sean McVay recently played a classic prank on new Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury, and the Rams coach shared it on a podcast Monday just in time for April Fools Day.

McVay, the 32-year-old offensive mastermind who led the Rams to the Super Bowl earlier this year in his second year with his team, is friends with Kingsbury — a fact the Cardinals made sure everyone knew after hiring Kingsbury for their head coaching position back in January.

Kingsbury coached reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs at Texas Tech. One night, the three men went out to dinner together, and that’s when McVay decided to have a little fun at the expense of his old buddy.

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“We have a mutual friend that I put his name in my phone as [NFL commissioner] Roger Goodell,” McVay said on Monday’s edition of “The Adam Schefter Podcast.” “I had this friend send me a text saying, ‘I can’t believe you’re at dinner with Kingsbury and Mahomes. You know better than this. This is tampering. You’re both losing picks.’ ”

It just so happens that Kingsbury and the Cardinals have the No. 1 overall pick in next month’s NFL draft. Naturally, that made the prank even more effective.

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“I showed Kliff the text and he saw a ghost. I said, ‘You better call [Cardinals general manager] Steve Keim right away.’ ” McVay told Schefter. “He said, ‘I thought I was going to lose the No. 1 overall pick.’

“We couldn’t let it go on too long, but it was pretty good. We got him good. … I’m pretty proud of that one.”

It was a priceless joke, but maybe McVay should have remembered that he played it on a guy whose team faces the Rams twice a year.

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“He said, ‘That’s messed up. I’m getting you back, man,’ ” McVay said of Kingsbury’s reaction.

charles.schilken@latimes.com

Twitter: @chewkiii

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