Cardinals remove controversial clause in Kyler Murray's contract extension
The Cardinals have removed an addendum in quarterback Kyler Murray's new contract that required at least four hours per week of studying the team's opponent during each week of the season, according to reports.
NFL.com's Ian Rappaport reported that the contract clause was taken out on Tuesday, a day before Murray took it upon himself to answer to critics who questioned his game preparation effort.
The #AZCardinals have removed the controversial “independent study” clause from QB Kyler Murray’s $230.5M contract, sources say, a move that happened yesterday.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 29, 2022
Murray stood before reporters Wednesday and said it was disrespectful to question his work ethic and how much he prepares for games, calling it "laughable" and "almost a joke."
Hours later, Twitter reports surfaced saying the addendum in the contract was removed. Then the Cardinals confirmed that by issuing a statement explaining why.
"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 this contract," the statement read.
Murray would not answer questions asking if he was angry or offended by the wording in the addendum. He has practiced in full in each of the team's first two training camp practices.
Get in touch with Jose Romero at Jose.Romero@gannett.com. Find him on Twitter at @RomeroJoseM.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals: Distraction from Murray contract clause was 'never intended'