Kyler Murray spent much of last offseason pushing for a contract extension with the Arizona Cardinals, and one teammate says he saw a change in Murray after the quarterback signed the massive deal.
Murray signed a five-year, $230 million extension with the Cardinals prior to the season. He had created some drama for the team before the two sides came to an agreement, but one anonymous teammate told Michael Silver of Bally Sports that what happened after Murray secured the bag of money was the real issue.
Silver wrote on Thursday that he recently spoke with an anonymous Cardinals veteran who told him “it was like they created a monster” when the team gave Murray a big contract. The veteran said he was not surprised by Arizona’s terrible season, as Murray felt less obligated to study and prepare for games once he got paid.
Of course, those concerns about Murray are not new. When Murray signed his extension, word leaked that it contained a clause which stated he had to complete four hours of “independent study” ahead of each game during the season. The clause was unprecedented, and many referred to it as a “video game clause” since Murray is a known gamer.
Murray’s teammates defended him over the work ethic questions the clause created, and the Cardinals eventually removed it. The team’s explanation for removing the language made little sense.
The Cardinals fired head coach Kliff Kingsbury this week and have said Murray will have input in the search for a replacement. If the anonymous teammate who ripped Murray is still under contract with Arizona next season, that is an indication that there are some locker room issues that need to be addressed as well.
