Arizona Cardinals Drop Homework Requirement From Kyler Murray's Contract After Backlash

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The Arizona Cardinals removed an "independent study" clause from quarterback Kyler Murray's new contract extension after Murray and the team received backlash.

The Cardinals confirmed the news on Thursday, saying they made the decision "after seeing the distraction it created" in a statement obtained by the NFL Network's Ian Rappaport.

The clause mandated that the 24-year-old Murray, who is entering his fourth NFL season, complete a minimum of four hours of "independent film study" in addition to the regular team meetings and film sessions that all players attend.

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The contract stipulated that Murray would not receive credit for these sessions if he was not "not personally studying or watching the material while it is being displayed or played" or "engaged in any other activity that may distract his attention (for example, watching television, playing video games or browsing the internet) while such material is being displayed or played," according to the Post.

The clause also said Murray would be considered "in default of his contract" if he did not meet these expectations, according to the Washington Post.

"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 Cardinals said, referencing the five-year, $230.5 million extension Murray signed last Thursday that will keep him with the Cardinals until at least 2028, the Post reported.

On Thursday, Murray himself held an unscheduled news conference in which he called the notion that he thinks he does not need to prepare for upcoming games by studying footage "disrespectful" to himself and the high level of competition throughout the NFL.

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"To me, I'm 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," Murray, who stands at 5'10", told reporters. "It's disrespectful to my peers, all the great athletes out there in this league. This game is too hard; to play the position that I play in this league — it's too hard."

To emphasize his point, Murray pointed out his past accomplishments, which include an undefeated high school football record, a 2018 Heisman Trophy win during his time at the University of Oklahoma, and his status as the only athlete ever to be selected in the first round of both the NFL and Major League Baseball drafts, according to The New York Times.

While Murray emphasized Thursday that there are a number of ways to watch and engage with game film, he did tell the Times in December 2021 that he does not prepare for games in the same manner many other NFL players do by watching hours and hours of footage.

"I think I was blessed with the cognitive skills to just go out there and just see it before it happens," Murray told the Times. "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."

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On Thursday, though, Murray repeatedly noted that it's unlikely he would have propelled himself to an NFL career without a stong work ethic.

"I refuse to let my work ethic, my preparation, be in question," Murray told reporters Thursday.

In 2021, Murray threw for 3,787 yards and 24 touchdown passes over 14 games played. The Cardinals went 11-6 last season; they finished second of four teams in the NFC West division and lost in the first round of the NFL playoffs.