Kyler Murray informs A’s he will enter NFL Draft
Kyler Murray has made a decision about which sport he wants to pursue at the professional level, and the Oakland A’s are the ones who will be left disappointed.
Murray submitted paperwork to enter the NFL Draft ahead of Monday’s deadline.
I have declared for the NFL Draft.
— Kyler Murray (@TheKylerMurray) January 14, 2019
While entering the NFL Draft does not necessarily mean Murray can’t play for the A’s, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that he informed the team he is committed to football.
Kyler Murray still can play baseball, if he wants. But he is determined to play football. https://t.co/vwTxiPvlsV
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2019
Murray’s decision would have been a shock four or five months ago, but that was before he enjoyed a stellar season at Oklahoma and won the Heisman Trophy. Between his remarkable year and top quarterback prospect Justin Herbert opting to return to Oregon for his senior season, the stars seem to be perfectly aligned for Murray to be drafted in the first round.
If he follows through with his decision to play in the NFL, Murray will have to pay back the portion of the nearly $5 million bonus the A’s gave him after drafting him No. 9 overall in the MLB Draft last year. There was talk of Oakland possibly finding a way to pay Murray more money and convince him to stay, but he appears fully committed to playing football.