PHOENIX — Straight from the quarterback. For the first time this off-season, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray addresses his future for the team, his social media scrubbing and those reports questioning his leadership and character.
“I’m an Arizona Cardinal," Murray said during a recent public appearance. “I’ve done nothing but give my all to the Cardinals and will continue to do that. I’m not really too worried about my future as a Cardinal.”
Murray was out in Phoenix Thursday teaming up with Albertsons to recognize the Arizona Educational Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley with $10,000 donations.
The Cardinals signal caller has been a trending topic since Super Bowl week when he scrubbed his social media of all references to the Cardinals.
“For a second there, I was trending for 5 weeks in a row," he said. "Every time I get on twitter, I was looking at it and I’m like what are people taking about my name for and all this stuff.”
Then his agent Erik Burkhardt, publicly called out the team in a letter, demanding they prioritize a new contract for the 24-year-old quarterback.
“Obviously you got the whole social media stuff, and then coming with whatever it is about the future. Honestly, I’m happy with where I’m at , and keeping football the main thing like I always have.
Murray has since brought back all the photos on his Instagram page. So was he trying to send a message?
“If you’re a kid my age, you’re use to people – that’s just a thing," Murray stated. "I took everything off there besides one picture. It had nothing to do with the Cardinals or anything like that.”
Murray also appreciates the handful of teammates that have come to his defense recently.
“Those are the only people that matter to me. People that are inside the locker room, inside the building, people that know me and are around me every day," he proclaimed. "If you don’t really know me, I can’t really listen to any type of criticism or anything like that. I’m my biggest critic, so it doesn’t really affect me.”
Murray has one year and a team option left on his rookie contract, so how important is a new long-term deal?
“I let people whoever have to take care of that stuff, take care of that stuff," Murray said. "All I worry about is playing good on the field.”
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