Arizona Cardinals nix study clause in Kyler Murray's contract

Following a week of backlash, the Cardinals have removed the unprecedented "homework clause" from Kyler Murray's new five-year, $230 million contract.

What they're saying: "After seeing the distraction it created, we removed the addendum from the contract," the Cardinals said Thursday night. "It was clearly perceived in ways that were never intended."

Catch up quick: The clause, which first became public on Monday, required Murray to study film for four hours a week on his own to receive "credit." If he failed, he could be deemed "in default" of his contract.

• Both Murray and the team were levied with criticism all week — Murray for needing and agreeing to such a requirement, and the Cardinals for feeling the need to include it.
• Murray held a press conference on Thursday, saying it was "disrespectful" that outsiders thought he could have reached the level he's at without being a "student of the game."

The bottom line: This was a bizarre blunder by the Cardinals, who made their franchise QB look bad for not studying enough, and made themselves look bad for giving him $160 million guaranteed if they thought that was the case — only to reverse course a few days later.