"Gave credence to a long history of belief that black QBs, black people in general are lazy" - Shannon Sharpe does not mince words while criticizing Kyler Murray
After plenty of drama over the past few months, the Arizona Cardinals handed quarterback Kyler Murray a five-year, $230.5 million extension. The deal made him the second-highest paid player in the NFL.
Green Bay Packers superstar and reigning league MVP Aaron Rodgers leads the way with an annual salary of $50.1 million.
Deshaun Watson's contract with the Browns: 5-years, $230M (fully guaranteed). $46M per year.
Kyler Murray's extension with the Cardinals: 5-years, $230.5M ($160M guaranteed). $46.1M per year.
A day after the team announced that they had agreed to terms with the player and his representatives, details about the contract emerged. A clause in the quarterback's contract stood out head and shoulders above the rest.
The clause stated that Kyler Murray must spend four hours a week independently studying material provided by the coaches to prepare for upcoming games. It also stated that the quarterback cannot watch television, play video games or browse the internet while studying.
The clause, dubbed the "homework clause," was a source of amusement for both fans and analysts alike.
Contracts are about give-and-take. One example from #AZCardinals QB Kyler Murray’s $230.5M contract: There is an addendum that requires 4 hours of “independent study” per game week. It was important to the team making a commitment at that level, thus it was important to Murray. https://t.co/VqrkvoBQLJ
However, one analyst wasn't amused. On Wednesday's episode of Fox Sports' "Undisputed," NFL Hall of Famer-turned-analyst Shannon Sharpe criticized the quarterback heavily. He said:
"[The critics] said blacks could not play [the quarterback] position because they could not process information fast enough. They couldn't think on their feet."
Sharpe continued:
"And that wasn't the case. Maybe the case was they weren't studying. Kyler Murray just gave credence to a long history of belief that black quarterbacks, black people in general are lazy."
He also noted that elite quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, and Drew Brees maintained handbooks. They made note of how a particular defensive coordinator schemed against them in those books. It gave them a headstart when they faced a defensive unit coached by that coordinator.
Sharpe further added:
"A skill you play the quarterback position, you must absolutely know the mind most most quarterbacks after they've been in the year been in the league for a while."
The analyst concluded:
"They keep notebooks on certain defensive coordinators just in case he becomes a head coach somewhere. Okay, I played him when he the DC this the way he approached it."
Kyler Murray admitted he doesn't indulge much in film study
News of the "homework clause" in Kyler Murray's contract attracted a wide range of responses from NFL analysts and fans. Many pondered what prompted Arizona to contractually obligate its quarterback to do something that most elite players in that position do without being asked explicitly.
The answer can be traced back to Murray's interview with the New York Times from December 2021. When asked about studying film before a game, the quarterback said:
“I’m not one of those guys that’s going to sit there and kill myself watching film. 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.”
The Cardinals are seemingly not comfortable with their quarterback feeling overconfident about his ability to beat defenses on pure instinct. Perhaps that is why they have ensured that he studies films before every game.