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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Jess Root

It definitely paid off for Kyler Murray to choose football over baseball

It was just a few years ago when it was not known whether Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Kyler Murray, then playing collegiately for Oklahoma, would play professional baseball or in the NFL.

He had already been drafted in the first round of Major League Baseball by the Oakland Athletics. He was paid a $4.9 million signing bonus.

He ultimately chose to enter the NFL draft and was selected first overall. Now, as training camp begins for the Cardinals, he has agreed to a huge contract extension worth $230 million over five years, keeping him under contract through 2028.

Choosing football paid off financially for Murray.

Consider this, a fact shared by MLB reporter Bob Nightengale.

Murray’s new deal averages $46.1 million per year. The Oakland Athletics’ total payroll in the majors in 2022 is $48.5 million.

It is safe to say that Murray made the right decision to play quarterback in the NFL rather than pursue a career in Major League Baseball.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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