Warren Moon told TMZ.com that Kyler Murray’s four-hour film clause in his contract was “a slap in the face to all African-American quarterbacks.”
His comments were in response to the five-year, $230.5 million contract extension Murray signed with the Cardinals earlier this month. It included a clause requiring him to spend four hours per game week on “independent study,” namely watching game film.
The Hall of Fame quarterback told TMZ the clause has racial undertones.
“It’s something we were always accused of back in the day when they didn’t let us (Black quarterbacks) play,” Moon says. “That we were lazy, that we didn’t study, that we couldn’t be leaders, that we weren’t smart. So all those different things just kind of came to surface after we put all that stuff to bed over the years and just because of this deal that’s going on between Arizona and Kyler.”
“So yeah, very embarrassing.”
After a ton of backlash online over it, the Cardinals removed the clause, , releasing a statement that it “was clearly perceived in ways that were never intended.”
Despite the team trying to make things right, Moon believes public perception about the quarterback has already been tarnished.
“The damage has been done,” Moon said. “He’ll have this riding on him every time he does something wrong in a football game. They’re going to say, ‘See, that’s the reason why that happened is because he didn’t study enough film last week,’ or whatever it might be.
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“It’s a very unfortunate situation for him and very embarrassing for both sides.”
Murray held an impromptu news conference last week after Cardinals practice to address the clause.
“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,” Murray said, “it’s disrespectful and it’s almost a joke.”
“I’m honestly flattered that you all think … I can go out there and not prepare for the game and not take it seriously. It’s disrespectful to my peers, to all the great athletes and great players that are in this league. This game is too hard. To play the position I play in this league, it’s too hard.”
