Last week, Kyler Murray got the big payday he rightfully deserved.
Today he broke his silence and clapped back at all of the critics who continue to disrespect the 2x Pro Bowler.
The Cardinals have improved every year with Murray under center, going 5-10-1, 8-8 and, this past season going 11-6 and making the playoffs.
Despite the team’s growing success and Murray’s impressive numbers (11,480 yards, 70 TDs, 34 INTs and 1,786 rushing yards with 20 TDs over his three seasons), dissenters still target him.
They even went so far as to attack his work ethic.
That was enough for Murray.
“I feel it’s necessary (to talk), with what’s going on regarding me, and the things that have been said about me,” said Murray to reporters. “To think that I can accomplish everything that I’ve accomplished in my career and not be a student of the game, and not have passion and not take this serious, is almost disrespectful, and it’s almost a joke.”
His dissenters pointed to the tension he had with the team when the season ended with a disappointing loss in the first round of the playoffs, after which Murray scrubbed his IG of all Cardinals’ related images.
They also brought up Murray’s statements to the NY Times about watching film.
“I’m not one of those guys that’s going to sit there and kill myself watching film,” Murray said last December. “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.”
That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t watch any film, but critics pounced on it anyway.
While Murray was annoyed, he isn’t letting it ruin the start of camp or the joy of signing his new five-year, $230.5 million deal.
“I’m flattered, I’m honestly flattered that, at my size, (you believe) I can go out there and not prepare for the game and not take it serious,” he continued. “It’s disrespectful to my peers, to all the great athletes and great players that are in this league. This game’s too hard, to play the position that I play in this league, it’s too hard (not to study). … It’s funny, but to those of you out there that believe I’d be standing here today, in front of ya’ll, without having a work ethic and without preparing, I’m honored that you’d think that, but it doesn’t exist. It’s not possible.”
Can’t wait until the season starts so Murray can officially silence the critics.
