OT: If you were Kyler Murray
- Thread starter FELONIOUSMONK
- Start date
As Deion Sanders told him, “pick up that bat and never look back!”
If anyone looks at it objectively, how can you not choose baseball? More money and you aren’t putting your body/brain on the line every week. Especially at his size!
BASEBALL!!!!! You will play for 15-20 years, make a ton more money and not be a cripple after your career is over.
I don’t see how a 5’9 190lb QB can survive in the NFL. But let’s look at worst cases.
He goes NFL and drafted late 1st early 2nd? Or does he drop? But he will get a signing bonus and a 4 year contract at whatever slot he is signed in and maybe 2-3 mil guaranteed
Hard to believe he lasts 4 years.
He goes baseball. High 1st round pick- I believe I heard somewhere around 8 million??? Not sure if correct. But, path to a major league roster is mult times more difficult then the NFL where he will be on the roster day 1.
But, if he makes it...his earnings will be 10x and he won’t need a wheel chair and pain killer in later life.
Worst case, he never sticks and has pretty much his signing bonus...
Go baseball young man.
BTW- I would recommend starting a real career over football anyway so I am biased.
He goes NFL and drafted late 1st early 2nd? Or does he drop? But he will get a signing bonus and a 4 year contract at whatever slot he is signed in and maybe 2-3 mil guaranteed
Hard to believe he lasts 4 years.
He goes baseball. High 1st round pick- I believe I heard somewhere around 8 million??? Not sure if correct. But, path to a major league roster is mult times more difficult then the NFL where he will be on the roster day 1.
But, if he makes it...his earnings will be 10x and he won’t need a wheel chair and pain killer in later life.
Worst case, he never sticks and has pretty much his signing bonus...
Go baseball young man.
BTW- I would recommend starting a real career over football anyway so I am biased.
I would play the sport that I love the most.
Everyone only looks at best case MLB and worst case NFL. Always so funny how people always frame their argument to benefit their side.
"MLB you'll play 20 years - NFL you'll be crippled the first game of the year!"
Ignoring what he "wants" to do: Football without a doubt.
Worst case scenario NFL:
You get a big first contract (larger than his 1st MLB contract) for 4 years then ease into the nice life of a career backup QB.
Lamar Jackson got about $9.5 mil for the #32 pick.
Hold a clipboard and collect those paychecks afterwards.
Everyone says RGIII - well RGIII is still in the league and has made 9 mil as a backup QB in 2016 and 2018.
As the NFL moves more and more to mobile QBs, he'll be in more demand as a backup QB.
You also instantly get the national recognition and endorsements - at least locally - after being drafted.
Instantly on the roster and #2 QB. Potentially the starter.
Also, if he is a 1st round pick - the team will design a system for him to succeed - see Bal, KC, LA, Phil, Ariz, NYJ.
Teams are fully investing in 1st round QB picks.
You get to live in a major city playing in and working with NFL players/coaches/facilities.
Much better development potential than in minor leagues.
Travel only 10 times a year (preseason and regular season) for a couple days at a time.
Get to be home all week long and sleep in your own bed.
Also, everyone can agree that the NFL is actively changing rules to protect QBs - they aren't getting hit over and over again like other positions.
Worst case scenario MLB:
You are a career minor leaguer and only get that first contract (currently $5mil but could get a new contract for $15 mil)
Even if he gets put on MLB roster from beginning - that's still 7 months (training camp plus season) of constant travel.
Could be in the minors for years - forever. 1st round pick to MLB isn't a straight line for even the best prospects.
A "major league contract" might fast-track it a little but he's not guaranteed to be on 25 man roster initially or ever.
"MLB you'll play 20 years - NFL you'll be crippled the first game of the year!"
Ignoring what he "wants" to do: Football without a doubt.
Worst case scenario NFL:
You get a big first contract (larger than his 1st MLB contract) for 4 years then ease into the nice life of a career backup QB.
Lamar Jackson got about $9.5 mil for the #32 pick.
Hold a clipboard and collect those paychecks afterwards.
Everyone says RGIII - well RGIII is still in the league and has made 9 mil as a backup QB in 2016 and 2018.
As the NFL moves more and more to mobile QBs, he'll be in more demand as a backup QB.
You also instantly get the national recognition and endorsements - at least locally - after being drafted.
Instantly on the roster and #2 QB. Potentially the starter.
Also, if he is a 1st round pick - the team will design a system for him to succeed - see Bal, KC, LA, Phil, Ariz, NYJ.
Teams are fully investing in 1st round QB picks.
You get to live in a major city playing in and working with NFL players/coaches/facilities.
Much better development potential than in minor leagues.
Travel only 10 times a year (preseason and regular season) for a couple days at a time.
Get to be home all week long and sleep in your own bed.
Also, everyone can agree that the NFL is actively changing rules to protect QBs - they aren't getting hit over and over again like other positions.
Worst case scenario MLB:
You are a career minor leaguer and only get that first contract (currently $5mil but could get a new contract for $15 mil)
Even if he gets put on MLB roster from beginning - that's still 7 months (training camp plus season) of constant travel.
Could be in the minors for years - forever. 1st round pick to MLB isn't a straight line for even the best prospects.
A "major league contract" might fast-track it a little but he's not guaranteed to be on 25 man roster initially or ever.
He is getting 5 million for a chance at many millions more than football. Take baseball
The extra 4 million isn’t worth it. And please find me a 5’9 QB who was truly successful in the NFL
Successful? Oh that isn't in my analysis - haha.
If I was a 5'9" QB/CF, I would be realistic about my chances of being successful in either sport - very low.
So I'm considering all my options and all realistic scenarios - both positive and negative.
I agree though . The odds of him being successful is much higher in baseball than football.
But a lot of top baseball prospects never make it out of the minors.
Despite the fact that an NFL team would most likely design their entire offense around him (HC/OC) - it would still probably not work out.
For me - the extra 4 mil is absolutely worth it.
No bus rides.
No year long travel.
Much higher profile sport for while you are in it - much greater media attention just if he was invited to NFL draft.
Give me that first round NFL contract and then maybe a couple years as a #3 QB and I'd be a happy camper.
And I'm not even factoring in the ability to switch football positions or go back to baseball later.
I would actually advise take the guaranteed money he may get if he is 1st round. Come up with an injury in first year, retire, get started on a career...
4 mil is not worth what football can do.
Depends. If he's projected as a top 10 pick, he'd get an $18M-$35M guaranteed contract including a $10M-$20M signing bonus. His contract with the A's is $4.66M and there's no guarantee he gets a 2nd contract or more $, no matter how good he is. Very tough choice.
He was already drafted 9th overall by the A's and signed a $4.66M guaranteed contract.
He definitely should go baseball. "Those guys ain't dumb/ Maybe get a blister on your little finger/Maybe get a blister on your thumb." The chance of serious injury is much less, and a 5'9" QB is unlikely to make it in the NFL at any position.
Odds are against he ever becomes an everyday player in the big leagues...
Is that just because it is so chancy getting to the big leagues, or is it because of something specific about him?
Getting to the big leagues probably
won’t be an issue, staying there will be...assuming he doesn’t fall flat on his face in the minor leagues.
It’s impossible to predict how a player is going to react to professional level velocity and breaking stuff.
A great athlete like Russell Wilson found out quickly he wasn’t a major League prospect after a few minor league seasons.
Playing everyday or being a regular is a ridiculously hard feat to accomplish from am odds and statistics standpoint.
I fully understand what everyone is saying on here.
Play baseball for 15 years, save your body, make 10 million a year.
Truth is the odds are astronomicaly against him.
The more likely scenario is he gets a big signing bonus (great for him) and never does much.
And Camden, this goes for any non-pitcher position player... nothing specific to him.
Last edited:
Thanks, Zappaa. I'm sure you also remember Michael Jordan's failed attempt at baseball. General athleticism takes one only so far in baseball. Ted Williams may have been right in saying that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in all of sports.
Based on the financials- Baseball. Now I get that baseball plays alot more games but how in the world football doesn't operate on guaranteed contracts is beyond me.
Fran Tarkenton was about that size. Doug Flutie wasnt a star but made a lot of money from football. One of this years Super Bowl QBs (oh my bad he got screwed) Drew Brees is barely over that
You need to look no further than Russell Wilson, he’s 5-10.
Not to beat a dead horse, but the chances of Kyler being a dominating minor league player are pretty slim...once again, the odds are against him
Brees and Wilson are the best comparisons. It is very difficult though.
Zap- agree that making the league is much more difficult then making an NFL roster as a Heisman winner.
The only reason I lean toward baseball is that he has a $5 mil buffer for the opportunity to make so much more. If he didn’t have that bonus, then it would be NFZl 100%
my personal take is take the signing bonus of either league and then retire after 1 year and get started on your real career...
Baseball.. but talk up football.. get a good deal for baseball... and if it doesn't work out.. then see what you can do in football.
He's playing baseball hands down.
The money will not be there for football because he has not committed to playing football over baseball. No way anyone wastes a #1 or #2 draft pick on a maybe I'll play football when there is a strong possibility that he is just trying to leverage the football drat to get more money from the A's. Third round or 2nd round and later NFL money does not compare to what he is already signed for with the A's, and the baseball money is garanteed. It looks like he is using the NFL draft to extort a roster spot with the magor league club out of the A's. Their plan was to start him off in single A ball.
The money will not be there for football because he has not committed to playing football over baseball. No way anyone wastes a #1 or #2 draft pick on a maybe I'll play football when there is a strong possibility that he is just trying to leverage the football drat to get more money from the A's. Third round or 2nd round and later NFL money does not compare to what he is already signed for with the A's, and the baseball money is garanteed. It looks like he is using the NFL draft to extort a roster spot with the magor league club out of the A's. Their plan was to start him off in single A ball.
Didn't the A's already commit to him being on the 40 man roster? I thought I had read that...
Neither are good comparisons. Wilson is a 215lb relatively big boned/large framed QB. So is Brees. Murrey is 175" small boned kid. He could add weight, but he would not carry it as well. You tendons in your joints don't grow with your muscles so he would have a lot more stress on his joints than the larger boned counterparts that are nearly his height. There is no way he would have the durability to survive the hits like Wilson or Brees.
Last edited:
The A's tweeted that they may be willing to put him on the 40 man roster if he spurns football.
There’s not a snowballs chance in hell Kyler will make the big league club out of spring training unless the A’s are committed to using him as their starting center fielder.
There’s no sitting and learning on a big league bench, you need to adjust to playing everyday, 7 days a week, 50 games in a row, no days off... it’s a huge adjustment.
40 man roster meens nothing, 15 of those guys get sent down.
By virtue of the bonus and being a 1st round pick It guarantees him a spot to play everyday at whatever level they send him... he could go 0-100 and he’s not loosing his spot in the line up.
That ain’t happening in the big leagues, the A’s are trying to win the pennant
Last edited:
Never said that, I think MJ was the best athlete in the world, he just couldn’t hit or throw.
1. I've heard rumors that the 5'10" is program height for Murray, and the actual is 5'8".
2. Your discussion got me to thinking about Jake Gibbs.
3. Tarkenton played when the DL and OL were 250, 260. It's different now.
Similar threads
