Kyler Murray isn't closing the door on playing baseball. At least not yet.
The Cardinals quarterback discussed the idea with reporters Thursday. He knows it's not an option as long as he's with Arizona, but he likes to keep talking about it.
Kyler Murray continues to talk about playing pro baseball at some point. He knows he can't, he acknowledges the Cardinals certainly aren't thinking that way, but he says -- with a smile -- he doesn't want to close the door.
— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) June 10, 2021
"I'm not trying to start anything, I'm just talking."
Murray was selected ninth overall by the Athletics in the 2018 MLB Draft as an outfielder after logging a .296 average, 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases as a junior at Oklahoma.
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Certainly, Murray would have a chance to make it as a major leaguer if he decided to take up baseball full time, but it doesn't seem likely that he will be leaving the NFL any time soon. He posted 3,971 passing yards, 819 rushing yards, 37 total touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season with the Cardinals and nearly led them to a playoff berth in his second season.
Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury likes him — "I think we all know the talent is immense, and he has a chance to be as good as anybody in this league," Kingsbury said earlier this offseason — and if Murray continues to play well, he should earn a lucrative contract extension from the Cardinals.
That would likely mean no baseball, but with a potential nine-figure contract in tow, Murray wouldn't mind.
As such, it looks as if Murray will be a football player unless he can talk his way into becoming a two-sport athlete or pulls a Tim Tebow and goes straight to the minors once his NFL career is over.
But if all goes well, the latter scenario wouldn't come up for quite some time.
