The 2022 NFL season doesn't get underway for another month, but already the league is setting records thanks to a seemingly unique clause in Kyler Murray's new contract with the Arizona Cardinals.
Murray, 24, recently became the second-best-paid player in American football —second only to four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers —when he penned a five-year deal worth $230.5million (£190.9m). However, the contract gained a different kind of attention after eyes was drawn to an addendum that stipulates four hours of “independent study” every game week.
In a move that many pundits and commentators have described as 'unprecedented', the clause means Murray must spend four hours studying his opposition outside of team meetings. Murray—who was the No. 1 overall Draft pick in 2019—possesses boundless athletic ability and major potential but has been criticised for his game management skills in the past.
After winning the Heisman Trophy as a junior at Oklahoma, Murray was first off the board in the NFL Draft one year after he had been picked by the Oakland Athletics in the MLB equivalent. He went on to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year in his debut NFL campaign and helped the Cardinals end their five-year playoffs absence last season.
Arizona finished the 2021 term 11-6 after losing four of their last five games, bowing out to eventual Super Bowl champions the Los Angeles Rams. There was a sense the opportunity had gone begging for Kliff Kingsbury's side, and their star quarterback looked far from his best in those fixtures.
“I think I was blessed with the cognitive skills to just go out there and just see it before it happens,” Murray told the New York Times last year. “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.”
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It's understandable the franchise should seek certain assurances from their marquee player if they're to reward him so handsomely for his commitment. It's understood Murray's four-hour quota will not be met if he plays video games, watches television or browses the internet while studying the enemy.
Watching tape is considered a key factor in NFL success, with legends like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Aaron Donald famed for dissecting their opposition in fine detail. It's a tactic that clearly worked for the latter, who was talismanic for the Rams as they won Super Bowl LVI.
Business of Sports podcast host Andrew Bryant said he had "never seen this in 30 years of looking at NFL contracts" after hearing of Murray's tape clause. CBS analyst Rich Gannon went one further by suggesting any QB who isn't watching at least 12 hours of tape independently per week "isn’t doing the proper preparation for a game."
