Heisman Winner Kyler Murray Declares for NFL Draft

Murray is going for the NFL despite being picked in the first round of this past year's MLB Draft.

January 14, 2019

Kyler Murray — Image via Getty/Michael Reaves
Getty

Despite being picked in the first round (ninth overall) of this past year's MLB Draft, and despite stating after said draft that he would go the baseball route after his fall football season, Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray announced Monday that he would declare for the NFL Draft. Guess winning the Heisman Trophy has a way of changing some plans. Murray made the announcement, as people so often do, on Twitter:

Murray had been drafted by the Oakland A's, but had also seemed to move ever so slightly towards a pro football career throughout the fall, culminating in a recent report that he wanted $15 million (which is roughly what a mid-first round NFL pick would get) to commit to baseball.

Notably Murray did not state that he's severing ties with the A's. He has been invited to spring training with the team, and has been asked to report in mid-February. Bay Area writer Susan Slusser also noted that the team had expected this move:

It was also reported that Murray met with executive from the A's, as well as MLB marketing reps, on Sunday to discuss a potential future in MLB. ESPN's Adam Schefter also added that Murray filed for the draft two days prior. Rather ominously (for A's fans) Schefter wrote "he can always change his mind, but his mind is made up":

The NFL Combine will take place, as it always does, in Indianapolis, from Feb. 26-March 4. The first day of the NFL Draft is April 25. Murray is currently projected as a gridiron first-rounder and, let's face it, there are several teams that could use a quarterback.