GLENDALE, Ariz. — The ‘homework clause’ reported in Kyler Murray’s new $230.5 million contract extension with the Arizona Cardinals is no more.
That’s according to NFL.com’s Ian Rappaport who first reported the change to the contract on Twitter Thursday evening, noting that it was a move the organization made on Wednesday – before Murray’s fired-up response to the clause Thursday.
The controversial clause dominating headlines over the past few days required Murray to do four hours of film study on his own each game week.
After training camp on Thursday, Murray held an unscheduled press conference, where he appeared more assertive than normal, and pushed back on the idea that he does not study film on his own in an almost four-minute long statement.
The Cardinals then released a statement stating they had removed the clause due to the “distraction it created.”
Below is the full statement from the team:
“After seeing the distraction it created, we removed the addendum from the contract. 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 his country.”
Here is the transcription of Kyler Murray’s full statement after training camp on Thursday:
“I’m talking today because I feel it’s necessary with what’s going on as far as regarding me and the things that are being said about me. It’s almost, you know, to think that I can accomplish everything that I’ve accomplished in my career and not be a student of the game and not have that passion, not take this serious is almost, it’s disrespectful. It’s almost a joke. To me, I’m flattered, I’m honestly flattered that y’all think that at my size I can go out there and not prepare for the game and not take it serious. It’s disrespectful I feel like to my peers, to all the great athletes and all the great players that are in this league.
This game’s too hard. To play the position that I play in this league, it’s too hard. And I don’t do this often, I don’t talk about myself, but today, I feel like I have to. And so, I’m going to list the accolades. To go 43-0 in high school, in Texas, some are going to say, ‘Oh, it’s high school,’ but nobody else has done it. Go to college, win the Heisman, get drafted #1 overall to the NFL, drafted #9 overall to the MLB, again, no one’s ever done it. Offensive Rookie of the Year, 2-time Pro Bowler and I’m not 6’7”, 230, I don’t throw the ball 85 yards. I’m already behind the 8-ball, and I can’t afford to take any shortcuts, no pun intended. But, those things you can’t accomplish if you don’t take the game serious if you don’t prepare the right way, and, like I said, it’s laughable.
But, to the film side of things, there’s multiple different ways to watch film. There’s many different ways to process the game, there’s many different ways quarterbacks learn the game and break the game down. Of course, I watch film by myself. That’s a given, that doesn’t even need to be said. But I do enjoy and love the process of watching the game with my guys, the quarterbacks, my coaches. And I think you can ask any quarterback around the league, you know the camaraderie in that room, the passion that goes into it, every man in that room has a job, every man contributes in different ways. And like I said, I think every player that has played the game, no matter the position, understands what I’m saying right now, as far as your room having a job and contributing.
So, to reiterate that, there’s multiple different ways to watch film and, of course, we all watch film. That doesn’t need to be questioned. But again, I refuse to let my work ethic, my preparation be in question. I’ve put in (an) incomprehensible amount of time and blood, sweat, tears, and work into what I do, whether it’s football or baseball. People can’t even comprehend the amount of time that it takes to do two sports at a high level in college, let alone be the first person to do it ever at my size.
Like I said, this is funny, but to those of you out there that believe that I’d be standing here today, in front of y’all, without having a work ethic or without preparing, I’m honored that you’d think that, but it doesn’t exist. It’s not possible. It’s not possible. So, that’s all I have on that.”
Kyler was asked some follow-up questions about the addendum to his contract but chose not to answer some, including if he asked the Cardinals why it was being put in the contract.
“Like I said, if you want to talk about football, we can talk about football,” Murray said.
Kyler was also asked if this was different than any criticism he has gotten in the past as quarterback, one of, if not the highest-profile positions on the field.
“No, this ain’t different,” Murray said. “This is not different. I just felt it was important to, almost like, I can’t believe that people would really think that I could do this without being prepared. Like I said, it’s a joke, like, it’s laughable, but they wrote the narrative and they gotta do what they gotta do. It is what it is. It’s all good.”
When asked if Murray was still happy with the contract, as tight end Zach Ertz said on Tuesday, Murray said yes, but seeing his name and the homework clause in headlines over the past few days has been hard.
“I mean, obviously when you see, you go from this to seeing everything about you in a negative light, I think any player, as far as one of the greatest moments in one’s life or one’s professional career to go to that, ‘Oh you’re being talked about,’ I mean, of course. I think any player would feel a certain way about it, but at the end of the day, you say what you say, I feel good about, I’m going to say what I say all the time. I’m going to say how I feel and it is how it is. So, I understand media and I understand how it works. But that’s why I’m here today and I’m telling you what it is.”
Murray was also asked if he regretted a quote given to the New York Times where he said, “I think I was blessed with the cognitive skills to just go out there and just see it before it happens. 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.” Here’s how Murray responded.
“Not at all, not at all, like I said, there’s multiple different ways to learn and watch the game, and like I said, besides the multiple ways, it doesn’t even pertain to football, I think a lot of people learn at different speeds,” Murray said. “You see it in schools and everywhere. It’s no different when it comes to football. Some people might need to watch 30 hours and some people, it depends.”
Murray added that this clause will not impact how he prepares for games every week.
“We put in hours and hours of work,” Murray said. “This is not like I said, I’m living out a childhood dream of mine that I don’t take for granted. I’ve told y’all many times I don’t take it for granted, I never will take it for granted because you never know when your last play’s going to be, you never know. Tomorrow could be my last practice. You never know. So, for people to think that I come out here and disrespect the game in that way, I feel like it would have been caught up with me. I feel like I wouldn’t have even made it this far if I really didn’t prepare and watch film like that. So, with the progressions we’ve made in 3 years, I think everybody in here sitting in here understands that, I don’t even think that would be possible either.
Murray also told reporters that he would have responded to the criticism he has faced over the last few days the same way 3 years ago as he did today, but would not answer if he pushed back on the addendum being included in his contract.