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Cardinals remove Kyler Murray's 'independent study' clause after criticism, backlash

ryan young
Staff writer
·2 min read
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Kyler Murray’s “independent study” clause is no more.

The Arizona Cardinals removed the clause in Murray’s contract that required him to watch film each week, the team announced Thursday night.

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The move, which came after harsh criticism from the quarterback and others, was done after the team realized “the distraction it created.”

“After seeing the distraction it created, we removed the addendum from the contract,” the Cardinals said. “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.”

Part of Murray’s new five-year, $230.5 million extension required him to spend at least four hours each week watching game film, something he called “disrespectful and almost a joke” earlier on Thursday.

“To think that I can 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 is disrespectful and almost a joke," Murray said. "To me, I'm flattered, I'm honestly flattered that ya'll think 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 the great athletes and great players that are in this league. This game's too hard."

The unique clause in Murray’s contract garnered plenty of jokes and criticism once it was discovered. While it’s certainly strange, Murray admitted after last season that he isn’t “one of those guys that’s going to sit there and kill myself watching film.”

Kyler Murray
The clause requiring Kyler Murray to watch film each week apparently became too much of a "distraction" for the Cardinals. (Kirby Lee-USA Today)

Though that may have helped trigger the addendum, Murray was insistent that it didn't make him a worse quarterback.

"Like I said, it's funny," Murray said Thursday. "To those of you out there who believe that I'd be standing here today in front of ya'll without having a work ethic and without preparing – I'm honored that you'd think that, but it doesn't exist. It's not possible.”

The clause has done more harm than good for the Cardinals.

Murray has gotten his way. His film habits are now up to him.