Kyler Murray has a reputation for spending too much time playing video games, and one of the quarterback’s former teammates was happy to fuel that narrative on Sunday.
Murray threw two interceptions in the Arizona Cardinals’ 34-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The first came late in the third quarter when Harrison Smith picked off a deep pass down the middle. During the Vikings’ group celebration, cornerback Patrick Peterson acted as though he was holding a controller and playing video games.
Patrick Peterson mocking Kyler Murray's gamer persona. pic.twitter.com/i9SgdKAxgQ
— Chuck Harris (@chuckh3) October 30, 2022
Those who are familiar with Murray’s gaming obsession immediately got the joke. Peterson, who payed with Murray in Arizona for two seasons, was asked after the game about his celebration. He confirmed that he was pretending to play “Call of Duty.”
I asked Patrick Peterson what game he was pretending to play with his video-game celebration: “I think it’s called Call of Duty? I’m not much of a gamer. Heard it just came out.”
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 30, 2022
It is no secret that “Call of Duty” is Murray’s favorite game. He and several other pro athletes are open about how much they love playing it. As Peterson mentioned, the latest version of the game was just released this week.
When Murray signed his massive contract extension during the offseason, there was a clause in the deal that stated he had to put in four hours of independent study per week during the season. A lot of people referred to it as the “Call of Duty” clause, though the Cardinals removed the language after it became a massive story.
One internet sleuth even developed an elaborate theory that Murray plays worse on weekends where there is a big “Call of Duty” event. The outcome of Sunday’s game will not do Murray any favors in that regard.
