Exploring the Kyler Murray Call of Duty Theory: NFL Players’ Performance Drops During COD Releases

<p>Kyler Murray has officially become a partner of Call of Duty, putting to rest years of memes and jokes that have been made about him in relation to this popular video game franchise. But what exactly does the Kyler Murray Call of Duty theory entail?

Murray, the standout quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, is known for being one of the most electrifying players in the league and carries the weight of the team’s playoff aspirations on his shoulders.

His love for Call of Duty is well-known, leading some fans and critics to speculate that the game might be affecting his performance on the field.

Though Murray himself may not agree with this notion, statistical evidence over the past few seasons has triggered questions about its credibility.

In 2022, numerous posts gained traction showcasing Murray’s performance metrics both before and after the launch of Call of Duty titles and during double XP weekends.

The graphs presented by rosecitypeach illustrate a noticeable decline in Kyler’s fantasy points following the release of each new COD game from 2019 to 2021. It’s likely that fantasy football players who selected the Cardinals’ star quarterback may reconsider their choices after the upcoming release of Black Ops 6 on October 25, 2024.

Additionally, one fan conducted an analysis of Kyler’s season-long performance in relation to his stats during Call of Duty’s Double XP weekends.

During these weekends, Murray experienced a decrease of -7.77 in passer rating, -6 yards per game (YPG), -0.12% in completion rate, and a -0.169 win percentage compared to his typical performance.

While the discrepancies may not seem drastic on their own, they often aligned with poorer results for the team, as the Cardinals struggled in the latter part of the season.

Kyler Murray with FaZe Clan in announcement video — FaZe Clan

In fact, Kyler joined FaZe Clan back in 2020, shortly after the release of COD: Warzone.

Kyler Murray Signs on as Call of Duty Partner

Following all the excitement and scrutiny, it was officially announced on October 7, 2024, that Kyler has become a Call of Duty Partner, a title generally held by top professionals and prominent content creators in the gaming community.

“To the trolls who memed me into a bag, thank you!” he expressed on X (formerly Twitter). “I’m thrilled to announce my partnership with Call of Duty!”

To the trolls who memed me into a bag, thank you! I’m officially launching my @CallofDuty partnership! #CODPartnership #TheReplacer #BlackOps6 pic.twitter.com/JwpZKxSzYo

— Kyler Murray (@K1) October 7, 2024

This announcement coincides with the latest release of The Replacer commercial series, which is promoting the upcoming Black Ops 6.

In the skits, the protagonist, played by Peter Stormare, can replace anyone at work to allow them time to play, humorously stepping into the role of starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals so that Kyler could enjoy some time to practice gaming.

It will be intriguing to observe if there’s a dip in Murray’s performance statistics after the launch of Black Ops 6 later in October; however, he should face manageable challengers like the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears in the immediate weeks following.

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