Kyler Murray has a big decision on the horizon regarding his athletic career, and he needs to give the NFL a very serious look.
The 2018 Heisman winner is already under contract with the Oakland A’s. The deal got him a signing bonus a little under $5 million. However, it might be time for Murray to consider a career change. (RELATED: Oklahoma’s Heisman Winning Quarterback Reveals If He Think’s He Can Play In The NFL)
I honestly believe that the dual-threat Oklahoma Sooners quarterback has the necessary skills and tools to make a career in the NFL. Look no further than one play against Alabama to see what I’m talking about. Murray escaped pressure and launched a deep touchdown pass that several NFL starters couldn’t even dream about making.
This is the passing ability that could make Kyler Murray a first round pick in the NFL draft. That’s simply an incredible touchdown pass for Oklahoma. pic.twitter.com/Bv5NKutSE9
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) December 30, 2018
Now, plenty of people will say baseball is the better option because of the money, but that’s not entirely true.
Murray stands to make more guaranteed money in football if he’s a first round selection than he does by playing baseball.
From a financial standpoint, this is a very easy decision. If he can get picked in the first round, then he has a higher immediate earning ceiling in the NFL than he would baseball. It’s just simple numbers. The last pick in the first round last year, Lamar Jackson, got $7.5 million guaranteed in his rookie deal, and the numbers only go up for the guys picked ahead of him. That’s several million more than Murray got from the A’s.
If Murray is about making money as quickly as he can, then football is the best option if he is a lock for the first round, and it’s not even a tough call.
The only reason to stick with football would be if his draft grade was that of a day two or three pick. Otherwise, he needs to solely focus on playing in the NFL.