Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray defended himself on Thursday regarding the reaction to the independent study clause in his newly-signed $230.5 million extension.

The addendum stated that Murray has to study film by himself without any distractions for four hours every game week.

Murray wasn’t scheduled to speak to reporters on Thursday but made himself available to defend himself.

“I’m talking today because I feel it’s necessary with what’s going on regarding me and the things that are being said about me,” he said. “To think that I can accomplish everything that I’ve accomplished in my career and not be a student of the game and not have that passion and not take this serious — it’s disrespectful and it’s almost a joke.

“I’m honestly flattered that y’all think at my size I can go out there and not prepare for the game and not take it serious. It’s disrespectful I feel like to my peers and all the great athletes and great players that are in this league. This game’s too hard. To play the position that I play in this league, it’s too hard.”

Murray listed all his accolades that at least in part convinced Cardinals general manager Steve Keim to select him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft just one year after trading up to take QB Josh Rosen 10th overall.

Those illustrious accolades included being 43-0 in high school in Texas, winning the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma, being both the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL and No. 9 overall pick in the MLB drafts in the same year, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and a being two-time Pro Bowler.

“I’m not 6-foot-7, 230 (pounds). I don’t throw the ball 85 yards. I’m already behind the eight-ball,” Murray said. “I can’t afford to take any shortcuts, no pun intended. Those things you can’t accomplish if you don’t take the game serious, if you don’t prepare the right way. It’s laughable.

“There’s multiple different ways to watch film. There’s many different ways to process the game. There’s many different ways quarterbacks learn the game and break the game down. Of course I watch film by myself. That doesn’t even need to be said. But I do enjoy and love the process of watching the game with my guys, the quarterbacks, my coaches.”

Part of Kyler on people questioning his studying/work ethic. pic.twitter.com/7AOyS4V4Wk

— Kevin Zimmerman (@KZimmermanAZ) July 28, 2022

“I refuse to let my work ethic and my preparation be in question,” he added. “I have put in an incomprehensible amount of time and blood, sweat, tears and work into what I do whether it’s football or baseball. People can’t even comprehend the amount of time that it takes to do two sports at a high level in college, let alone being the first person to ever do it at my size.

“It’s funny, but to those of you out there that believe that I’d be standing here today in front of y’all without having a work ethic and without preparing, I’m honored that you think that, but it doesn’t exist. It’s not possible. It’s not possible.”

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