Kyler Murray's embarrassing homework clause has been removed from his $230 million contract with the Cardinals

• The Arizona Cardinals have removed the "independent study" clause from Kyler Murray's new $230 million deal.
• The clause required that Murray spend four hours a week studying film without distraction of television or video games.

The Arizona Cardinals have removed the "independent study" clause from Kyler Murray's new $230 million deal, which caused a minor uproar across the NFL world.

The clause, as it was originally written, required that Murray spend at least four hours a week watching film, specifying that the Cardinals quarterback could not be watching television or playing video games during his study time.

On Thursday, the Cardinals announced that the clause had been removed.

"After seeing the distraction it created, we removed the addendum from the contract," the Cardinals said in a statement. "It was clearly perceived in ways that were never intended. Our confidence in Kyler Murray is as high as it's ever been and nothing demonstrates our belief in his ability to lead this team more than the commitment reflected in this contract."

Murray was similarly miffed at the way the story had captured the attention of the larger NFL world.

"To think that I can accomplish everything I've accomplished and not be a student of the game and not have that passion and not take it serious, it's disrespectful and almost a joke," Murray said after practice on Thursday.

"I'm honestly flattered that you all think I can go out there and not prepare for the game and not take it seriously. It's disrespectful to my peers, to all the great athletes in this league. This game is too hard. To play the position I play in this league, it's too hard."

The removal of the clause is likely a smart move in the short term — it was an embarrassing admission of a lack of trust in Murray, and the Cardinals had no real way of enforcing it anyways — but it feels like the damage has already been done. The Cardinals are closing the barn doors long after the horse has left.

ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter lambasted the deal on "NFL Live" after the clause was made public earlier this week.

"It's unprecedented language," Schefter said. "I think when you talk to people around the league, they believe that this is an indictment of both sides."

It remains baffling to imagine how this clause got included in the first place. From Murray's side of things, it's surprising that his agents would let such a clear questioning of his work ethic to be included in something the player was set to sign. From the Cardinals perspective, it's shocking that a team would want to commit to a $230 million extension while making it known to the rest of the league that they're still not really sure Murray is putting in enough work.

Murray is one of the most electric players in the league, with a shocking arm for his small stature and an ability to make plays out of nothing that is second-to-none in the NFL. But despite being a great improviser, like Murray himself said, playing quarterback in the league is too tough a job to skip your homework.