Kyler Murray has a lot of haters, especially in Sin City. His comeback performance of the ages against the Las Vegas Raiders during Week 2 is now the stuff of legend, and not all were happy to see him accomplish it. Not surprisingly, some of those unhappy campers were strewn throughout Allegiant Stadium in the desert, and when they got the chance, they put their hands on Murray.
Murray turned into a Madden character during the Week 2 Arizona Cardinals vs. Las Vegas Raiders showdown. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Raiders had a 23-7 lead until Murray set off two touchdown drives with a two-point conversion as the cherry on top to tie the game.
Police in Las Vegas said Monday they’re investigating allegations that a fan in the stands struck Kyler Murray amid celebrations of Arizona’s win in OT.
(via @camcox12) pic.twitter.com/ORmRzf9wPN
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 19, 2022
Eventually, the Cardinals won the game in overtime after Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow fumbled the ball. It was scooped up by Byron Murphy and returned for a 59-yard touchdown. The on-field celebration ensued, and during the team’s elation, Murray broke away and ran to the fans to take in the love of what looked like a pocket of Cardinals faithful.
While receiving the obligatory fan frenzied pats on the back for coming back from a 20-0 deficit, as he went down the line, a hand extended over another fan and slapped Murray square on the face. He was so happy at the win that at first, he didn’t realize what had occurred, but once it was recognized, the dog came out of him as he went back to confront the area from where the physical affront came.
He was eventually pulled away by his supportive teammates, but Las Vegas police spokesman Larry Hadfield confirmed to media outlets that someone made a battery complaint after the game. Although Murray wasn’t officially named as the complainant, the allegation was that “a spectator at the stadium struck a professional football player.”
Look at this competitor. Kyler Murray is here to win. pic.twitter.com/Aeh4fdD3Zx
— Johnny Venerable (@JohnnyVenerable) September 19, 2022
Hadfield also said that a suspect was not immediately identified and that there was an ongoing investigation.
Multiple cameras caught the assault, and the videos have been floating online identifying individuals who look responsible for the offense. Fans online are calling for the assailants to be banned from the stadium for life and charged.
The game further scrubbed any doubts the Cardinals might have had about Murray’s dedication to football. When Murray signed the deal back in July, a clause in the contract leaked stating that Murray must complete “at least four (4) hours of Independent Study each week during each Playing Season during the term of the Contract.”
The “independent study” clause was eventually removed after pressure from the media and the fans, but it opened up a more significant assault on the dedication of Black quarterbacks.
“It’s a slap in the face to all African-American quarterbacks,” said Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon in July. “That’s something we were always accused of back in the day when they didn’t let us play. That we were lazy, that we didn’t study, that we couldn’t be leaders, that we weren’t smart. So all those different things just kind of came to surface after we put all that stuff to bed over the years and just because of this deal that’s going on between Arizona and Kyler.”
The win over the Raiders was Arizona’s first since Murray agreed to a $230.5 million, five-year contract extension.
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