At least from a financial sense, the debate is over -- Kyler Murray made the correct decision in choosing a career in the NFL over one in MLB.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Thursday that the extension Murray signed with the Arizona Cardinals is worth $230.5 million over five seasons, giving him the new highest average annual value for a quarterback at $46.1 million.
Murray -- who posted a .954 OPS in 51 games for Oklahoma in 2018 -- was selected by the Oakland Athletics with the No. 9 overall pick in the MLB Draft that year. As noted by CBS Sports, the entire payroll of the A's in 2022 is $48.5 million, the second lowest mark in the league and just above the annual salary he's slated to collect in the NFL.
When he was the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL, Murray also immediately became one of the 32 starting quarterbacks in the league. The lifestyle of a quarterback is drastically better than that of a minor-league baseball player, which Murray would have needed to be for some time before earning a promotion to the majors.
Of course, while no one is suggesting that baseball players don't put their body under immense pressure, you don't take on the short and long-term health risks that you do when taking hits in the NFL. All MLB contracts are fully guaranteed as well, unlike the NFL. Murray's new current contract guarantees him $160 million, not all $230.5 million.
But still, Murray probably hasn't thought twice about choosing football over baseball, and certainly won't moving forward.
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