Kyler Murray Apologizes For Post With Michael Vick Jersey, Dog

Kyler Murray was remorseful after a recent social media post resulted in a ton of backlash ... telling reporters he meant no harm when he shared a picture of himself wearing a Michael Vick jersey while posing with a dog.

Murray addressed the controversy during his media availability on Wednesday ... when he explained, "In no way, shape, or form do I condone animal cruelty or dog fighting, whatever it is."

"I saw how it affected people and decided to take it down," he said. "So, I apologize to anybody and whoever I affected with that."

The 28-year-old -- who has two dogs -- made it clear that his pups "get treated like kings."

The wardrobe choice was at the center of the outrage -- as Vick was hit with a federal indictment in 2007 related to a dogfighting ring, which saw dozens of animals getting seized ... so posing with a pup while sporting the athlete's Virginia Tech threads was considered tone deaf.

The 13-year NFL veteran was suspended for his role in the operation ... and he spent two years behind bars before being released in 2009. Once he was out, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles later that summer.

Learning from his mistakes, the 45-year-old has since become an advocate against animal cruelty ... and has used his platform to call for stronger laws and efforts for animal rights.