Las Vegas police are investigating allegations that a fan struck Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in the face as the team was celebrating a 29-23 overtime win over the Las Vegas Raiders, according to ESPN. Murray was high-fiving fans at Allegiant Stadium following Byron Murphy Jr.’s fumble recovery for a touchdown on Sunday. While Murray was celebrating, a man appeared to reach out and smack him in the face with an open hand.
The video of the incident shows Murray being stunned and trying to identify the alleged attacker. Las Vegas police said a battery complaint was made around 6:30 p.m. at the stadium. Murray was not named as the reporting person, but it was confirmed the allegation was that “a spectator at the stadium struck a professional football player.”
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When speaking to reporters on Monday, Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said he has not seen the video of the alleged allegation. “I was just told about it,” he said. “But I think that guy’s a lowlife, whoever did it, and I hope they arrest him, he gets fired and can never go to another game.” The Cardinals rallied from 20-0 at halftime to win their first game of the 2022 season. Murray, who signed a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension before the season began, finished with 277 passing yards and two total touchdowns. He led the team to two touchdowns and two two-point conversions in the final eight minutes of the game to force overtime.
“That feeling, going into the half where nothing is going right, we’ve felt that plenty of times since I’ve been here,” Murray said after the game per the Cardinals’ official website. “It’s an ugly feeling. But the grit, the resiliency of this group … the issue with this group is never about playing hard. It’s about executing.”
Murray, 25, was selected by the Cardinals at No. 1 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. In his career, Murray was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and was selected to the Pro Bowl the last two seasons. In 2021, Murray threw for 3,787 yards and 24 touchdowns while rushing for 423 yards and five touchdowns. He led the Cardinals to their first playoff appearance since the 2015 season.
