Report: Murray pays way for 20 Cardinals to train in Dallas
On Wednesday, Kyler Murray said he would be getting together soon with some of his teammates for some private workouts. On Thursday, it was learned those workouts will begin on Sunday and that the Cardinals quarterback is footing the entire bill to make it happen.
“Kyler has invited all the offensive skill players out to Dallas this week and it’s going to be the first time we actually come together as a unit since everything unfolded (with the COVID-19 pandemic) before OTAs started,” Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake said during an appearance Thursday morning on the NFL Network. “I think it will be good camaraderie for all of us to come together and Kyler was gracious enough to invite everybody out there. You know big-money Kyler.”
The workouts will be held in the Dallas area and will run from Sunday to Wednesday, according to ProFootballTalk, citing an unnamed source. According to the website, Murray has invited 20 teammates and he is paying for the entire event, including travel, lodging and food, at a cost of more than $40,000.
Murray invited the other three quarterbacks on the roster (Brett Hundley, Chris Streveler and Drew Anderson), plus nine wide receivers (including Larry Fitzgerald, DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk, Trent Sherfield, Andy Isabella, Hakeem Butler and KeeSean Johnson), four running backs (Drake, Chase Edmonds, D.J. Foster and Eno Benjamin) and four tight ends (including Maxx Williams, Dan Arnold and Darrell Daniels).
All 20 players accepted the invitation, according to ProFootballTalk.
Murray apparently made all the arrangements, from flights to hotels and dinners to activities. The group will use two practice fields and plan to follow physical-distancing requirements while working out and attending nonfootball events.
“I live, breathe and eat football,” Murray told reporters during a conference call Wednesday, “so me, personally, I can’t wait just to get out there with the guys.”
Fitzgerald recently told reporters there was a plan to have at least two workout sessions among teammates on their own, including one shortly before the start of training camp later this summer.
“We have some great, talented players individually, but you’re only as good as your collective team,” Fitzgerald said last week. “We have to get on the practice field. We have to work through some kinks. We have to get new guys acclimated to what we’re doing. I think everybody is anxious to get back to work and get on the field and kind of see exactly what we have.”