Murray says decision between A’s, NFL is coming ‘very soon’
A’s first-round pick Kyler Murray and said Thursday that a decision on whether he will play professional baseball or football is coming “soon, very soon.”
Murray, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Oklahoma, offered those comments while appearing on NFL Network’s live set at Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, but he declined to give any hints as to which way he’s leaning.
“Right now I’m just working out,” he said. .”..I’m just taking it one day at a time.”
Murray also appeared on set with Pro Football Talk, where he indicated he hasn’t made a firm, final decision. He also said that, in an ideal world, he’d choose both sports.
“This whole decision thing— I wish I could play both,” he told PFT. “That’s just me personally. Obviously I know it’s highly, highly, highly, highly unlikely. It’s not an easy decision. I’ve been playing both my whole life since I was 4 years old.
Murray declared for the NFL draft on Jan. 14, before the deadline for underclassmen, but he has not committed to either sport as the calendar turns to February and brings other deadlines closer.
A’s position players report for spring training Feb. 15, while the NFL combine is in late February.
Asked by NFL Network what he enjoys more: throwing a touchdown pass or hitting a home run, Murray said, “You don’t hit as many home runs as you throw touchdowns, so I’d have to go with hitting a home run.”
Murray signed a minor league deal including a $4.66 million signing bonus after being drafted ninth overall by the A’s in June, but his stellar 2018 season as a quarterback at Oklahoma thrust him into contention to be a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
As it has become more apparent that Murray could choose football, the A’s and Major League Baseball have worked to entice him to stay with baseball. The A’s are reportedly willing to offer Murray a significant raise over his initial contract to get his commitment to baseball, and MLB sent a marketing executive with Oakland’s contingent to meet with Murray in
mid-January.
Reports have said Murray would like a $15 million contract to choose baseball.
Murray was also asked by PFT on Thursday if he would consider waiting to choose a sport based on how high he is selected and by which team in the NFL
“I don’t know if that’s possible,” he said of the scenario. JUDGE WON’T FORCE REPLAY
OF NFC TITLE GAME » U. S. District Judge Susie Morgan ruled out of New Orleans on Thursday that the league will not be forced to enact a rule that could have required a replay of the NFC Championship Game, won by the Los Angeles Rams 26-23 over the New Orleans Saints on Jan. 20.
The argument of two Saints season-ticket holders was rejected after the duo filed suit against both the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell.
At issue was a late no- call on what appeared to be pass interference by the Rams that, if penalized, likely would have set up a scenario where the Saints could have kicked a game-winning field goal just before running out the clock.
Instead, the game when to overtime, where the Saints lost on a Rams field goal. RAMS’ ZUERLEIN ‘ ON TRACK’ » Kicker Greg Zuerlein (left foot) and safety Blake Countess (foot) both were limited Thursday at Rams practice. Zuerlein did not kick. He will kick again today.
“The plan all along has been for (Zuerlein to kick) tomorrow,” coach Sean McVay said. “He’s feeling good. That’s kind of been the plan all along, so we’re right on track where we want to be.” WASHINGTON’S ALLEN DENIES SMITH WILL MISS 2019 » Washington President Bruce Allen on Thursday denied a recent NFL Network report that the team is prepared for quarterback Alex Smith to miss all of 2019, calling it “nonsense.”
Speaking to WTEM-AM (the Team 980) from the Super Bowl, Allen said Smith “is improving,” but did not give a timeline for when Smith would return from the compound fracture of his leg suffered last season and the ensuring series of surgeries to stop infections in the leg.