Kyler Murray focused on football but 'would love' to be 2-sport athlete

While Kyler Murray was forced to choose one career path, the 22-year-old Arizona Cardinals quarterback remains convinced he's capable of playing both professional football and baseball in the same calendar year.

"I think I could. ... Athletically, I think, yeah, I could do it. I've been playing both my whole life. I would love to add that to the resume," Murray said Thursday, according to Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic.

Murray is the only athlete to be taken in the first rounds of both the NFL and MLB drafts. The Oakland Athletics initially selected the QB with the ninth overall pick in 2018 before he committed himself to football and went No. 1 to the Cardinals last year.

Athletes such as Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders have managed to balance a career in both professional leagues. But with the added responsibilities and pressures of being a franchise quarterback, many believe it wouldn't be possible for Murray to follow in their footsteps.

The young signal-caller, however, isn't ruling out the prospect of one day being a two-sport trailblazer.

"I don't understand why in sports they try to marginalize it," he said. "They try to make you pick one, and I get it, but we'll see. I think it would be fun. Right now, though, I'm just focused on football."

The Athletics still hold Murray's baseball rights.