Kyler Murray

Kyler Cole Murray, better known as Kyler Murray, competes in the National Football League for the Arizona Cardinals. Murray was selected in the MLB draft in 2018 after his team, the University of Oklahoma, won the Heisman Trophy in 2018. The outstanding college football player decided to join the NFL in 2019 after spending a year competing in baseball. In the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals selected the quarterback who was a member of the First Team All-American in 2018. Kyler Murray is a lethal quarterback who shows a lot of promise since his debut in the NFL in the 2019 season. He won the NFL Rookie Offensive Player of the Year award in 2019. In the 2021 NFL he led the Cardinals to their first playoff appearance since 2015. With two Pro-Bowl appearances in 2020 and 2021 Kyler Murray is set to live up to his potential.

Kyler Murray Early Life and Background

Kyler Cole Murray was born on August 7, 1997 in Bedford, Texas.

He is a third-generation Korean American and the son of Misun Henderson and Kevin Murray, a former Texas A&M quarterback. His cousin Devin Duvernay plays football for the Baltimore Ravens, and his uncle Calvin Murray played baseball for the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Texas Rangers. Kyler graduated from Allen High School, where he was twice named Mr. Texas Football and the Gatorade Football Player of the Year as a senior. No other player has won Mr. Texas Football more than once to date. The football squad at Allen High won 43 straight games while Murray was a student there and three state championships too.

With a 42-0 record at the end of his high school career, Kyler was rated as a five-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports, and Scout.com. Murray was a second baseman and shortstop for the school's baseball team. He was selected for both the Under Armour All-America Football Game and the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game, making him the first player to do so. He made a football and baseball commitment to Texas A&M University in May 2014, which is the alma mater of his father.

Murray dropped out of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft after deciding to enroll at Texas A&M, despite being regarded as one of the best prospects.

He and Kyle Allen contended for the starting quarterback job before his rookie season, with Allen winning. the spot. Kyler was given the opportunity to start as quarterback after the team dropped two straight games. In his first game as the starter, he became one of only two Southeastern Conference quarterbacks in the previous 20 years to amass more than 100 yards passing and rushing in a single game, including a passing and rushing touchdown. The club benched Murray after he made two more starts and restored Allen as the starting quarterback.

Kyler made his decision to transfer to the University of Oklahoma public in December 2015. He was forced to miss the 2016 campaign because of the NCAA's transfer regulations.

When Baker Mayfield, the starting quarterback for the Sooners in 2017, was subjected to disciplinary measures because of the previous game, Murray took over as the backup quarterback for the Sooners and began the game on November 25. Kyler Murray served as the team's starting quarterback in 2018 and was presented with the Heisman Trophy at the conclusion of the campaign. The team's success in the College Football Playoff and Big 12 Championship may be attributed in large part to Murray. He was a center fielder and left fielder for the Sooners baseball team.

Kyler Murray Draft

Kyler Murray has an interesting entry into the NFL as the quarterback initially opted to play baseball and was even drafted by the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2018. He was the 9th overall selection of the MLB Draft. However, he also won the Heisman trophy in 2018 and decided to opt for the NFL Draft by foregoing his senior college year.

Kyler Murray was selected in Round 1 as the overall first pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, which also made him the first ever player to be drafted in the first round of both the NFL and NBA Drafts.

Kyler Murray NFL Journey

Kyler Murray signed a four-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals in 2019, worth $35.2 million. Murray became the starting quarterback for the Cardinals after impressing in the offseason. He had a stellar first season in the NFL. In his first game itself, Murray helped the Cardinals overcome a 16-point deficit to tie the game against the Baltimore Ravens. Murray was chosen as a Pro Bowl Alternate after finishing his first season with 3,722 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in addition to 544 running yards and four rushing scores on 93 carries. He also received the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award for his season-long performance at the NFL Honors on February 1. He was named 90th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020 list by his fellow players.

Murray had a great season in 2020 too and earned his first Pro Bowl call-up by the end of the season. Murray threw for 245 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in Week 10's game against the Buffalo Bills. He also ran for 61 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.

He assisted the Cardinals in mounting a comeback victory in the final seconds, making it one of the most memorable games of the season. With 11 seconds left and the Cardinals behind 26-30, they advanced to the Buffalo 43-yard line when Murray scrambled out of the pocket and delivered a Hail Mary pass to DeAndre Hopkins, who was surrounded by three Bills defenders.

Arizona won 32-30 and gained control of the NFC West division with the help of the subsequent touchdown, which the media nicknamed the "Hail Murray."

Murray made his first NFL postseason debut in the 2021 season when the Cardinals faced off against the eventual Super Bowl winners, Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round. Murray had led the Cardinals to one of the best starts at the beginning of the season but suffered from an ankle injury. However, he successfully led the team to the playoffs although they exited in the Wild Card round itself.

Murray’s 2022 NFL season got cut short in Gameweek 14 against the New England Patriots when tore his ACL. Murray finished the season with 2,368 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, and 7 interceptions to go along with 88 carries for 418 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns in 11 games played

Kyler Murray Teams

Arizona Cardinals (2019-Present)

Kyler Murray is one of the best young quarterbacks in the league and he became a vital part of the Arizona Cardinals during his rookie season itself. On September 8th, he played in his first NFL game for the Cardinals against the Detroit Lions. Following a Week 6 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, Murray was awarded NFC Offensive Player of the Week. That season, his play also won him the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and a position as a Pro Bowl Alternate.

In October 2020 and again in December, Kyler was voted NFC Offensive Player of the Week twice. He finished the season with 26 touchdowns and almost 4,000 throwing yards.

Despite being chosen for the Pro Bowl, it was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the popular NFL game called "Madden 21" had a virtual exhibition game, and Murray won and was voted the Pro Bowl MVP. In the 2021 season, Kyler won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award in September before suffering an ankle injury in October that required him to miss three weeks of action. After the 2021 season, Murray was again chosen for the Pro Bowl, and in July 2022, he agreed to a five-year contract extension with the Cardinals.

Kyler Murray Awards and Achievements

Kyler Murray Records

Cardinals franchise records

• Most games started by a rookie quarterback – 16

• Most pass completions by a rookie – 349

• Most pass attempts by a rookie – 542

• Highest completion percentage by a rookie (at least 2 completions) – 64.4%

• Most passing yards by a rookie – 3,722

• Most passing touchdowns by a rookie – 20

• Highest passer rating by a starting rookie – 87.4

• Most yards per game by a rookie – 232.6

• Most wins by a rookie quarterback – 5

• Most rushing yards by a rookie quarterback – 544

• Most rushing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback – 4

• Most rushing yards per game by a rookie quarterback – 34.0

• Lowest interception percentage in a career – 2.1%

• Highest completion percentage in a career – 66.8%

• Most rushing yards by a quarterback in a career – 2,204

• Most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a career – 23

Kyler Murray's Net Worth

Kyler Murray is currently estimated to have a net worth of around $40 million.

His enormous net worth was largely accumulated through NFL pay, with part of it coming from endorsement income. Kyler Murray's contract extension with the Arizona Cardinals has increased his net worth. By 2022, his net worth had grown to $40 million, up from about $34 million in 2018. By 2021, Kyler Murray already earned $30 million in NFL wages, and by 2022, he will have made $60 million. The $189.5 million guarantee on Kyler Murray's current deal with the Arizona Cardinals will significantly boost his net worth.

Kyler Murray Contract

Kyler Murray had initially signed a 4-year contract when he was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals. He received a hefty signing bonus of $25 million and earned an average annual salary of $8.9 million.

Kyler Murray earns an average annual salary of around $46 million per season. In 2022, Kyler

Murray will earn a base salary of $965,000. He will earn the bulk of his earnings through a signing bonus of $29 million and added bonuses. Kyler Murray signed his current 5-year contract extension with the Cardinals in 2022, which is worth $230 million and keeps him with the team till 2028.

Find out all about Kyler Murray’s contract details and contract history, here.

Kyler Murray Family

Kyler Murray was born to Missy and Kevin Murray on August 7, 1997. His father, Kevin Murray, used to be a college football player and represented Texas A&M University. He is currently a high school football coach. After retiring from football, he became an inductee of the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999 and the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame in 2012.

Kyler Murray’s mother, Missy Murray is one of the largest inspirations for him as she pushed him toward being a more focused player by instilling discipline in him. Missy Murray is half-Korean which makes Kyler Murray a third-generation Korean descendant too.

Kyler Murray also has two step-siblings from his dad’s side, as Kevin Murray had two kids from a marriage before being married to Missy Murray. Kyler has an elder brother called Kevin Murray Jr. and a sister called Precious Murray.

Calvin Murray, a University of Texas alumni, is his uncle and a former professional baseball player for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, and San Francisco Giants.

Devin Duvernay, his cousin, is a wide receiver with the Baltimore Ravens and a graduate of the University of Texas.

Kyler Murray's Girlfriend

Kyler Murray is currently dating an American entrepreneur named Morgan LeMasters. She owns her own makeup line. Details about when the two of them started dating are still undisclosed as the couple like to keep their lives very private.

Kyler Murray Rookie Cards

Kyler Murray’s rookie cards came out in 2019. His “2019 Panini National Treasures Kyler Murray RC Auto Patch #161 /99” and “2019 Panini Contenders Kyler Murray RC Autograph #101”, are two of the rarest and most valuable of his rookie cards. The highest price paid for a Kyler Murray rookie card to date is $14,600.