Fans of the NFL have long circulated a humorous meme suggesting that Kyler Murray, quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, sees a decline in performance following the release of a new Call of Duty installment. Recently, Murray played into this running joke as part of an advertisement for Black Ops 6.
A passionate gamer and streamer, Murray joined FaZe Clan in 2021, showcasing his enthusiasm for video games. However, his gaming habits became a topic of controversy when the Cardinals added a contentious clause to his substantial $220 million contract extension.
This clause mandated that he spend four hours each week on “independent study,” restricting him from engaging in activities such as “watching television, playing video games, or browsing the internet.” The Cardinals retracted this stipulation just two weeks later, but the fallout from the situation continued to fuel memes and jokes.
Fans took to social media to poke fun at Murray, pointing out a noticeable decrease in his fantasy football performance in the seasons following the launch of new Call of Duty games. In particular, one fantasy football user illustrated a trend showing a decline in Murray’s average career fantasy points during three seasons coinciding with a new CoD release.
Rather than dismissing the ongoing mockery, Kyler Murray embraced it, announcing a lucrative collaboration with Call of Duty.
On social media, he shared, “To the trolls who memed me into a bag, thank you!”
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
The post featured a promotional clip for Black Ops 6, showcasing a character named ‘The Replacer’ taking Murray’s spot as the Cardinals’ starting quarterback while he plays Black Ops 6.
Although Murray did not appear in this particular advertisement, he may feature in additional promotional materials leading up to the official launch of Black Ops 6 on October 25.
In an ironic twist, the Cardinals recently celebrated a significant victory against the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers over the weekend. If Arizona struggles to maintain their momentum post-release, fans will likely renew their jokes about Murray’s performance.
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