Kyler Murray announced Monday he would be putting 100 percent effort into playing quarterback in the NFL, but the Oakland Athletics still think they can make the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback an offer he can’t refuse.
Murray, who was drafted by the A’s with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft, dazzled in his lone year as the starting quarterback at Oklahoma and is expected to be drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
The A’s, however, reportedly aren’t giving up on Murray just yet, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
Oakland is OK with Murray going to the NFL Scouting Combine and the NFL Draft, allowing him to go through the entire process before they make their offer, Rosenthal reported Monday, citing sources. Oakland reportedly believes it holds the “trump card” when it comes to Murray, as they can offer him an MLB-guaranteed contract on top of the signing bonus he already received.
As Rosenthal notes, MLB contracts don’t come with any “financial restrictions,” whereas NFL rookie deals are capped.
At the moment, Murray is focused on proving he can be a “franchise quarterback,” but the A’s certainly haven’t given up dreams of him chasing down flyballs in the Coliseum outfield just yet.
