Murray keeps options open, enters NFL draft
Kyler Murray met an NFL deadline Monday by declaring himself for that league’s draft in April, keeping alive the possibility that the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner might spurn his baseball career for one in football.
The move was reportedly expected by the Oakland Athletics, who drafted him ninth overall in June and are thought to be negotiating with Murray and his agent, Scott Boras, about ways to provide him more compensation.
An outfielder who showed impressive improvement last season for the Oklahoma baseball team, Murray was allowed by Oakland to return to school in the fall to play quarterback for the Sooners. The result was a stellar campaign as the successor to 2017 Heisman winner Baker Mayfield that has some NFL executives said to be evaluating Murray as a first-round pick.
Monday’s declaration was procedural and does not rule out Murray ultimately choosing baseball over football, and Major League Baseball marketing personnel reportedly joined A’s officials in trying to persuade him to do just that.
The Texas native, listed at 5 feet 10, 195 pounds, agreed to a $4.66 million contract with Oakland last year, but it might take considerably more to put a bat in his hands.
Mike Leslie of Dallas TV station WFAA reported Sunday that Murray is seeking $15 million, but the San Francisco Chronicle cited sources with knowledge of the situation who said that figure was inaccurate, with reporter Susan Slusser tweeting that a source said Murray has not made any monetary demands of the A’s. Still, the sources said that the sides are working on “something creative,” possibly a scenario in which Murray gets added to the A’s 40-man roster.
As Murray dominated last football season, his draft stock improved. Jim Callis, a senior writer on Mlb.com, said the A’s couldn’t have foreseen that Murray would be a potential first-round NFL draft pick because of his size. Listed at 5 feet 10 and 195 pounds, Murray would be a small quarterback in the NFL by any standard.
“The primary risk was, what if he gets hurt on the football field?” Callis said, recalling his conversations with scouts before the season. “I don’t think anybody was saying he could be an NFL first-round pick.”