8:15pm: And like that, the clause is no more. Rapoport tweets that the Cardinals have removed the “independent study” clause in Murray’s contract.
“After seeing the distraction it created, we removed the addendum from the contract,” the Cardinals said in a statement (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter). “It was clearly perceived in ways that were never intended. Our confidence in Kyler Murray is as high as it’s ever been and nothing demonstrates our belief in his ability to lead this team more than the commitment reflected in this contract.”
1:25pm: In making Kyler Murray the NFL’s second-highest-paid quarterback, the Cardinals included an independent study clause in his contract. The strange inclusion mandates the fourth-year passer watch at least four hours of film on his own per week during the season, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Understandably, this unusual mandate has generated more attention than the five-year, $230.5MM deal itself. Addressing this matter Thursday, Murray said questions about his film-study habits are “disrespectful” and “almost a joke,” via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones (all Twitter links).
“There’s multiple different ways to watch film. Of course we all watch film. That doesn’t need to be questioned,” Murray said, before declining to answer questions related to the film clause. “I refuse to let my work ethic and my preparation be in question. I’ve put in an incomprehensible amount of time in what I do, whether it’s football or baseball.”
Murray himself has admitted in the past he is unlikely to be a top-tier film studier among quarterbacks, making comments to the New York Times about his habits. Given his importance to the franchise, this December 2021 stance may well have been a factor for the Cardinals during their offseason negotiations.
“I think I was blessed with the cognitive skills to just go out there and just see it before it happens,” Murray said, via NYT’s Ben Shpigel, last year. “I’m not one of those guys that’s going to sit there and kill myself watching film. I don’t sit there for 24 hours and break down this team and that team and watch every game because, in my head, I see so much.”
The two-time Pro Bowler declined to say if he was mad about this film-study component of his contract, but the Cardinals going so far as to include it their highest-profile extension reveals at least some level of hesitancy about the dual-threat passer’s commitment. This is not the first piece of atypical language in a Murray contract. His rookie deal protected the Cardinals against a return to baseball, a sport he was ticketed to play — as a top-10 Oakland Athletics draftee — before his 2018 Heisman-winning season changed his career course. That transition has now led to Murray securing a monster extension — one featuring $104.3MM guaranteed at signing.
It is certainly interesting that, despite the reports of the acrimony between the fourth-year QB and the Cardinals dying down, Murray has needed to address this matter after the team made this financial commitment. Generally, talk of discontent between player and team recedes in the wake of big-ticket extension agreements. But it is clear Murray, who has followed up fast starts with suboptimal end-of-season stretches in each of his Pro Bowl years, will struggle to distance himself from this story. The Cardinals, who have never authorized a contract remotely close to this neighborhood, stand to be regularly tied to this language as well.
cant they just make this guy film and he can watch it on his phone when hes using the restroom like I do when i visit this site
Like I’m doing right NOW.
“Haha, I do that!”
Kyler is a tool. You’re already laughing to the bank, just shut up already.
One of the worst front offices in all of football tried to play hardball with their best player by smearing him to the press repeatedly, and instead of getting a bargain, they just made themselves look goofy for giving so much money to the guy they talked so much trash about. No coincidence that the organization handling their QB contract standoff with vastly different messaging (Baltimore) also managed to squeeze a first round pick out of Arizona for an underwhelming receiver without the public knowing he had requested a trade. Keim is an imbecile who managed to make one great trade because Bill O’Brien was drunk on responsibilities he shouldn’t have had in the first place.
All teams do some posturing prior to major negotiations and much of it is rather silly. There is rarely any doubt that a teams best player is going to get a huge payday. If the end result is success, it doesn’t matter how goofy you looked getting there.
Sure, but going out of your way to create bad blood with someone you want to keep can prove costly.
I agree that it has a negative impact on team morale and may discourage free agents from joining your organization but owners don’t seem to care about those things.
Oooof is pseudonym for Bruce Allen.
Keim is one of the worst GM’s in the NFL. He reminds me of the guy who got a job he never thought would have and sucks up to the owner every chance he gets. Never a plan or vision just flying by the seat of his pants wondering when it will be over. Bidwell can’t sign players because she doesn’t have enough $$$ to pay an upfront bonus. He needs to own a XFL team and not a NFL team.
This contract is going to end up regrettable for the Cardinals. Blow up in the face type of regrettable. The guys just not that good consistently. And an air head based on his comments
Not only that but the media interviewed him before the draft. I think it was Dan Patrick or Rich Eisen, he came across as that he wasn’t all there. The guy is a complete air-head
And Brett Favre was a Rhodes scholar?
Maybe Favre won something. I don’t think Murray has.
He did it without ever exactly sounding scholarly. And he was never saddled with a GM as incompetent as Keim.
Favre has nothing to with Kyler Murray. I know you like the guy. However, is it possible that, as obviously inept as the Cardinals’ front office is, Murray’s also just egotistical and actually irresponsible?
Then why did the people who would know that best give him so much money? It’s less that I like the guy than that he’s objectively a top fifteen QB at worst, despite a dicey situation, and so many of the criticisms feel at least partly bogus.
Kyler can both be a top 15 QB at worst and also be egotistical. Those aren’t mutually exclusive qualities. The fact that he believes himself to essentially be above watching film speaks volumes. Defenses adapt and, by more or less pronouncing your neglect, you are inviting them to make their schemes counterintuitive
Oh, I have no doubt he’s egotistical. Most of these guys are. I’m not sure I buy that defenses are adapting because of his film study habits more than Kingsbury’s scheme and Kyler getting banged up behind that line.
Seems to me that he just doesn’t have the drive to be the best. Just wants paid. Good luck with this contract.
who is Kyle Murray?
… is what people will say 10 years from now
Shut up, Jamarcus Murray.
JaMarcus Russell is smirking, wherever he may be.
What on earth do they have in common other than being QBs taken first overall?
A few things
Russell was terrible on the field, in notoriously bad shape, and was released three years after being drafted. Most of the claims about Murray came from the organization that gave him over $100 million in guarantees three years after drafting him. So no, not similar.
Here’s a hint: something to do with film
The clause explains a lot. It is no wonder his play drops off as the season progresses, as his opponents are always bettered prepared than he is.
From my couch, Murray sounds like the MLB players who ignored analytics and film study because they thought it was nerdy and they trusted their pure athleticism to overcome opponents’ knowledge (I’m thinking of, oh, Jeff Francoeur).
It doesn’t mean they lack intelligence, but it suggests they have some air of invincibility. No one’s beaten them before. Why should some new techie magic change that?
If you look deeper you will see that Murray likes video games more than anything else in life – thus football is a distraction from what he really wants to be doing.
The skeptic in me thinks that this unusual clause was about to draw a grievance from the NFLPA and that’s why it was removed. Once removed, Murray was free to pop off to the media.
Vick says he’s sorry that he didn’t work hard enough at becoming the quarterback he needed to be.
“There was a lot more I could have done off the field and in the film room that could have elevated my game to a different level,” Vick said. “I was complacent at the time, somewhat lazy, and I settled for mediocrity. I thought what I was doing was enough.”
Oh
Keim trying to justify keeping Kingsbury by being more incapable than him.
So this clown is complaining that it’s insulting that the Cardinals would insinuate that he doesn’t watch film enough, but last
Year told The NY Times he doesn’t watch a lot of film? I’ve not liked this guy since he appeared on Adam Patrick before the draft and think he’s going to be a huge headache for the Cardinals in the future.
Personally I’m glad it was removed. I want more no-look-behind-the-back passes in the end zone
Murray seems more into $$$ and his brand than winning. It’s telling that such a clause would have to be in the contract to begin with. Murray is one bad tackle/knee injury from being RG3
Even worse is he’s talking about how insulting that clause is, yet while he’s b*tching about it, he’s wearing a shirt that says EASY MONEY!!! Like how dumb are you?!?!?!?!!!
This guy is mentally weak
The clause won’t matter when Keim and Kingsbury are gone after next season. This whole team is doomed.
As I have been screaming this all offseason… is this the kind of behavior you want from your franchise QB?
NFL owners have had to deal with prima donna players for a century so it’s actually farcical that Murray’s attitude is getting this kind of attention. He hasn’t been charged with sexual offenses or other criminal behavior and he isn’t taking a knee during national anthems. He’s just an overpaid athlete with a large ego and those are a dime a dozen.
Really now…
I agree with your statement, however the league hasn’t been dealing with prima Donna’s for the past century, rather it’s been about 30-40 years since the prima Donna age started, started with The Dion Sanders, Crazy WR’s era (Chad OchoCinco, T.O., etc) before that teams simply cut or traded the prima Donna’s. Now with the salary cap ramifications and the amount of money they are paid the teams put up with them far longer.
does he have an app that stalks him like Stewie looking for his money?
mine is duolingo.
As much criticism as Cleveland got/gets for the Baker breakup, I give them credit for learning from their own experience with Couch and not trying to save face like it feels Arizona is doing with Kyler.
Lol you mean the team who signed deshaun watson?
To those who are complaining about the team saying bad things about Murray, they have never been in a negotiating room with high level sports (I have). All the team does is talk about the negatives of the player as a way to get the price down. That’s why you let you agent do all the negotiations otherwise bad blood will come out from the player.
As for Murray, is he a top 15 QB right now? Yes he is, will he be one at his current rate in 3 years? Not a chance. Look at every top QB in the past 30 years, what do they all have in common? Hard work both on and off the field. That means film study, not just in the gym to make your six pack look even better.
Personally I hope he hears the criticism and starts to work harder off the field at preparing for the game. Better QB play makes the league a better product.
You can refuse to have it questioned all you want, but it will be questioned and you are the reason for it due to your own big mouth. If a team that signed you to a big contract had to put that language in there, obviously they are questioning you as well.
Maybe YOU are the one with the problem? Nah…you’re perfect, it is the rest of the world just hatin’…
This guy is going to be a real treat to coach lol.
Dude, don’t question him about coaching. See, he is a rare, unicorn, special person the likes of which nobody has seen. He understands the coaching system and the new wrinkles before the coach even develops them and then instantly knows all the hot routes and audibles because he sees it in his own head. He’s beyond coaching.
Lol
I don’t have a dog in this fight so my opinion is totally unbiased. But the Cards Organization would not have put this language out there unless it was absolutely necessary. And whether they have retracted it or not, it says a TON that it was there in the first place. Kyler Murray has always been a “wing it” QB that totally relies on his God given talent to get him where he’s gotten so far. But that won’t get you to the promised land in the NFL. You gotta put in the work in the film room and he’s not doing it. And the fact that he got this contract after pouting his way through the last 2 years in ARI and really hit a wall after weeks 8-10 in years 2020-2021. He looked downright average for long periods of time the last few seasons and he has alot to prove moving forward. With that amount of coin tied up to a player with his antics, I’d be tripping a bit if I was a Cards fan!