Odds on Kyler Murray’s Future: Baseball or Football?
By Robert Duff in College Football
Updated: April 3, 2020 at 7:46 am EDTPublished:
- Oklahoma Sooners QB and Heisman Trophy favorite Kyler Murray insists he will choose MLB over the NFL
- At the same time, Murray didn’t rule out playing both at Heisman media day
- Murray’s agent insists his client will honor his contract with the Oakland A’s
MLB or NFL? That’s the question currenty in front Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Kyler Murray.
The top pick of the Oakland Athletics in the 2018 MLB draft, Murray already has a signed contract with the A’s in his pocket.
Kyler Murray’s baseball contract hasn’t stopped NFL teams from hoping that the Heisman finalist chooses football. https://t.co/Y9tM1TEZRj
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) December 8, 2018
But he didn’t 100% rule out playing in the NFL someday. Sportsbooks are offering a prop bet asking which will come first for Murray – an NFL TD pass, or an MLB home run?
Odds Of What Happens First For Kyler Murray
| What Happens First For Kyler Murray? | Odds |
|---|---|
| Hits a home run in MLB | -500 |
| throws a TD pass in NFL | +300 |
Murray also mused about the possibility of playing both MLB and in the NFL at the same time.
Boras Insists MLB’s Is Murray’s Future
The most powerful agent in baseball, Scott Boras represents Murray and is adamant his client will choose swinging a bat in the majors over flinging a football in the NFL.
Football scouts are concerned by Murray’s size (5-10, 190) and rate him as a late-first round choice in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Boras told the San Francisco Chronicle that Murray would honor his commitment to the A’s and attend MLB spring training. On the diamond, Murray, an outfielder, has been compared to Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, the MLB all-time stolen-base leader.
Scott Boras tells the @sfchronicle that Kyler Murray will fulfill his baseball commitment, much more here: https://t.co/rHMzANdjeC
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) December 6, 2018
Murray could decide to opt out of his contract with the A’s, but he would be required to repay his $4.66-million signing bonus.
Could Murray Turn Two?
It’s certainly possible that we could see Murray play MLB and in the NFL, and perhaps even at the same time.
“I’ve always been a guy of many options and I’m trying to keep them open as long as possible. If that (playing football and baseball) was possible, I would definitely be open to it.” — A's first-round draft pick Kyler Murray, via @JulianMack105 https://t.co/Exwc4Pzqke
— The Athletic Bay Area (@TheAthleticSF) December 8, 2018
Bo Jackson – another ballplayer Murray has been compared to – and Deion Sanders both did it, but each began their big-league days on the diamond.
Expect Murray to start with the MLB and that the A’s will want to get him to the show quickly so that he doesn’t look longingly at the NFL.
But even if he were to flame out at baseball and turn to football, much like Danny Ainge’s jump from the Toronto Blue Jays to the NBA, odds are that Murray will clout at least one MLB home run before he’s done.
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
