"You basically sold your soul" - Skip Bayless slams Kyler Murray for signing Cardinals extension
The fallout from the Kyler Murray contract fiasco continues, as NFL analyst Skip Bayless has gone on another rant about the Arizona Cardinals quarterback.
The Kyler Murray homework clause is a colossal blunder by the Cardinals. It makes him look bad for not studying enough, and it makes them look worse for giving him all that money even though he wasn't studying enough.
As usual, he joined NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe on Undisputed and quickly returned to the subject of Murray. Bayless remains incensed that the former Heisman winner put pen to paper on his deal, and is now claiming that he "sold his soul".
Bayless said:
"I love Kyler, I've read. Before that draft, he won the Heisman Trophy, he went first overall. In both went the first round of both the NFL and MLB Draft. He went offensive Rookie of the Year, and he's made two straight Pro Bowls, we get all that, yes."
He continued:
"All that got undone because you signed the dotted line, you basically sold your soul back to the team, by letting them have this clause that condemns you, as somebody who needs to be held accountable with threat of defaulting the whole contract."
Has the criticism of Kyler gone too far?
Kyler Murray is certainly no stranger to criticism, and has had plenty of doubters since arriving in the NFL as the first-overall pick in the 2019 Draft. Many believed that the Cardinals had made a huge error in selecting the Oklahoma product, arguing that they should have stuck with their 2018 first-round choice, Josh Rosen.
Arizona went 3-13 during Rosen's one season as a starter in the desert, and the UCLA alum joined his sixth team in four years this off-season. He was recently picked up by the Cleveland Browns. Many analysts are now happy to label Rosen a total bust, and it would be difficult to argue otherwise.
Murray's talent has never been in question, and he was the first player in history to be chosen in the first round of two major pro sports drafts. The Oakland A's selected him ninth overall in the 2018 MLB draft. But rather than being celebrated for that once-in-a-generation achievement, Murray's supporters believe it has been used against him. Before signing his new deal, he faced constant claims that he would quit football for baseball.
Murray's height, ability as a passer, his durability, lack of leadership and aloofness have all come under the media microscope during his three-year career. The Rookie of the Year award winner and two-time Pro Bowler doesn't appear to have convinced his critics.
The Cardinals have gone from worst in the league to an entertaining playoff team since Kyler's arrival. However, that still hasn't silenced his doubters, who now have fresh material to use.
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