The Oakland A’s expect Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray to declare for the 2019 NFL draft before Monday’s deadline, the San Francisco Chronicle reports, citing multiple sources.
Murray, a two-sport star, was chosen by the A’s with the ninth pick of the MLB draft in 2018 and signed a $4.66 million contract in June that allowed him to play football for the Sooners for one final year before joining the team.
Murray, 21, complicated things by leading Oklahoma to an 12-2 record and a spot in the College Football Playoff, winning the Heisman Trophy along the way.
ESPN draft experts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay have noted that Murray could be a first-round pick, and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported Wednesday that Murray was getting “first-round feedback” about the NFL.
Declaring for the draft would not guarantee that Murray would choose football, and the A’s would retain his professional rights, even if he tried the NFL first.
Last month, on the eve of the Heisman ceremony, it was clear that Murray was torn about which sport he wanted to play.
“I’d like to do both if possible,” he said. “But I don’t know how possible that is.”
The Chronicle reported that one source told the paper Murray is leaning toward football.
After his team lost to Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal, Murray was mum about his future.
But his agent, Scott Boras, told ESPN on Wednesday night that Murray “has a baseball contract.” Boras has been steadfast that Murray will be play baseball now that Oklahoma’s football season is over.
Murray will need to make a decision in the next month. Spring training begins for the A’s on Feb. 15, and it seems unlikely that he would be able to prepare for football’s combine at the same time as he was attending his first major league baseball camp.
A number of former MLB draft picks ultimately chose to pursue football full time, including Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Ricky Williams.