An acrimonious offseason between Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals was supposed to be relieved when the star quarterback signed his mega-extension on Monday.
Instead, controversy returned before the honeymoon even began.
Just after the ink was dry, several reporters publicized a contract addendum that requires Murray to put in four hours of independent study per week — the insinuation being that Murray does not work hard enough at his craft in his free time.
Unsurprisingly, the “homework clause” set social media ablaze, as it felt akin to a parent telling its child that they must finish their schoolwork before playing.
Many within the Cardinals saw the uproar coming.
According to sources, multiple people in the organization tried to dissuade owner Michael Bidwill from putting the clause in the contract, but he was insistent. General Manager Steve Keim and coach Kliff Kingsbury did not push for the clause, but Bidwill ended up getting his way.
From what I’ve gathered the Kyler Murray study clause was a Michael Bidwill thing. Steve Keim, Kliff Kingsbury weren’t pushing for it.
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) July 25, 2022
The downside was obvious, as now there is a permanent stain on Murray, whose work habits will be questioned whenever he or the team fails.
It is an odd juxtaposition, as Bidwill signed off on the second-biggest contract in NFL history while at the same time questioning his star quarterback’s study habits.
There were inferences to JaMarcus Russell on social media, but obviously there is no real parallel. The Raiders’ former No. 1 overall pick found zero success in the NFL, while Murray has a Rookie of the Year and two Pro Bowl appearances in his first three seasons.
Last season, Murray led the NFL in yards per attempt (8.9), Completion Percentage Over Expectation (+6.5), EPA per play (.263), passer rating (112.2) and completion percentage (72.7) through Week 12.
DeAndre Hopkins got hurt in Week 13 and Murray’s play declined as he battled his own ankle injury, but any quarterback in the running for NFL MVP that late in the season clearly has put in a decent level of preparation.
Kyler Murray led the NFL in these categories through nine starts last year (DeAndre Hopkins tore his MCL in the 10th):
*Yards/attempt (8.9)
*CPOE (+6.5)
*EPA/play (.263)
*Passer rating (112.2)
*Completion percentage (72.7)Can’t imagine he was just wingin’ it out there.
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) July 25, 2022
Even though the clause was added at the behest of Bidwill, Murray’s side had to sign off on it.
While the four hours of work itself likely wasn’t a big deal to the quarterback, his representation could have done a better job of forecasting the ensuing damage to Murray’s reputation.
Bidwill likely made certain demands in order to agree to the $46.1 million figure, which made Murray the second-highest paid player of all-time.
But something Murray said in his extension press conference is not hot air: he doesn’t care all that much about the money.
While the Cardinals gave Murray a contract that surpassed Deshaun Watson, Murray himself did not care that much about the pecking order.
In retrospect, would he have taken a bit less to avoid the study clause and its ensuing backlash? I’d imagine he may have.
Either way, the contract is signed and the two sides are now tied to each other through 2028.
Bidwill got his way, but at what cost?
In most instances, the relationship between a star player and his team is fruitful and smooth. This one still feels rocky, like some sort of arranged marriage.
The Cardinals and Murray won’t be haggling over money for the foreseeable future, but this adversarial stance must be reversed, or else things could get even worse, not better.
