Kyler Murray's 'Independent Study' Clause Removed From Contract by Cardinals

There reportedly is no longer an "independent study" clause in Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray's contract.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the NFC West team removed the clause from the $230.5 million deal.

The Cardinals released a statement on the decision, per ESPN's Adam Schefter:

This comes after Rapoport previously reported the Cardinals included an addendum in the contract that required four hours of "independent study" each game week:

The clause drew plenty of attention, especially since one might see it as the team not trusting Murray to prepare for a game on his own. Yet Rapoport noted that including it in writing was simply about making something that already happened official.

Yet Murray responded to the backlash during a Thursday press conference, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.

He called it "disrespectful" that people think he could be a Pro Bowl quarterback in the NFL if he wasn't a "student of the game." The 5'10" playmaker also said, "I'm flattered that y'all think that at my size I can go out there and not prepare for the game and not take it serious."

It's hard to argue with Murray's assertions considering he already has an Offensive Rookie of the Year and two Pro Bowl selections on his resume in just three seasons. He was excellent again in 2021 while completing 69.2 percent of his passes for 3,787 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions to go with 423 yards and five scores on the ground.

However, he was also under the spotlight this offseason after struggling in the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams and with his contract status hanging in the balance.

The two sides were able to come to terms on a head-turning deal, though, and Weinfuss noted the average annual value of $46.1 million is second in the league and behind only Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers' $50.3 million.

It seems as if Arizona trusts him enough to study film while making that money because that clause is no longer in writing.