The Arizona Cardinals have removed the independent study clause from Kyler Murray’s new contract, the team announced in a statement on Thursday.
The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport first reported the news before the organization’s statement.
“After seeing the distraction it created, we removed the addendum from the contract,” the Cardinals’ statement reads. “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.”
The unique clause in the contract discovered by Rapoport once the contract was officially signed and went through league portals on Monday required Murray to do at least four hours of game prep on his own each week to get the guarantees in his five-year, $230.5 million contract extension. The clause included language that specified Murray must be actively viewing the material and not be doing so while watching television or playing video games.
Ever since Monday, a 72-hour news cycle has been warped around the clause. That included heavy amounts of criticism for Murray, his agent and the team. Seasoned NFL reporters went on to state how it was not a common clause and it was an oddity for such a clause to exist.
Murray responded to the criticism that came with the details of the study clause on Thursday. He was not scheduled to speak with the media but took the platform to defend himself and cited his accomplishments.
“I’m talking today because I feel it’s necessary with what’s going on regarding me and the things that are being said about me,” Murray said. “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 and not take this serious — it’s disrespectful and it’s almost a joke.”
Murray’s new contract extension with Cardinals also has added language in the deal that voids guaranteed money if he decides to play baseball.
While football has been Murray’s No. 1 since being taken first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, baseball has remained linked to the signal caller. That’ll happen when you get selected in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics.