How Kyler Murray Ended Up Apologizing for His Michael Vick Post

Although Kyler Murray's mostly known for his work on the gridiron, he became notable among football fans for a not-so-positive reason in September 2025.

The Arizona Cardinals quarterback received widespread backlash after he shared a photo in which he posed next to one of his pit bulls while wearing a Michael Vick jersey ... there are some pretty negative connotations there.

Here's a look at what led to the athlete receiving criticism for his post, which he quickly took down, and at how he managed the subsequent fallout.

For a bit of context ... Vick, a former NFL star, was arrested and agreed to plead guilty to charges related to his involvement with a dog-fighting ring in 2007.

The athlete admitted to killing several dogs by hanging and drowning when he was questioned in the case, according to ESPN. An official report in the case included information about the former football player finding it "funny" when certain dogs injured and killed others.

He was convicted in 2007 and received a 23-month prison sentence. He was ultimately released early, in May 2009, for good behavior, and he served two months of home confinement before he was fully released from federal custody.

Vick was reinstated to the NFL in 2009, and he announced his retirement in 2017 after spending the 2016 season as a free agent. He's also become an advocate for animal rights in the years since his release from prison.

Murray's post didn't really leave much to the imagination, as he wore a Vick jersey while posing for the photos.

It's worth mentioning the jersey was from Vick's time at Virginia Tech University, where he played from 1999 to 2000.

Also present in one of the photos was Trunks, one of Murray's pit bulls -- a breed historically prized for its fighting skills.

Murray's post didn't stay up for long, as he got tons of backlash over its implications before taking it down.

Murray spoke about the controversy surrounding his post at a press conference on September 17th, and he apologized for any discomfort he might have caused by sharing the photos, according to USA Today.

The athlete admitted to taking down the post after he "saw how it affected people" and stated he "no way, shape or form" condoned either dog fighting or animal cruelty.

He chalked up his act of wearing Vick's jersey to paying tribute to "a player I admired very much growing up" in his statement.