Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes addressed the infamous "study clause" in Kyler Murray's contract on Friday, saying it is "weird" how black quarterbacks are criticised in the NFL.
Murray made headlines earlier this week when it was revealed his five-year, $230.5million contract extension with the Arizona Cardinals contained a clause requiring him to independently watch at least four hours of game film per week during the season.
After the report surfaced, Murray made an impassioned defense of his work ethic, and the Cardinals announced on Thursday that the addendum was removed from his contract.
"Obviously, the black quarterback has had to battle to be in this position that we are to have this many guys in the league playing," Mahomes said after a camp practice.
"Every day, we're proving that we should have been playing the whole time.
"We've got guys that can think just as well as they can use their athleticism. It's always weird when you see guys like me, Lamar [Jackson], Kyler kind of get that on them when other guys don't.
"But at the same time, we're going out there to prove ourselves every day to show we can be some of the best quarterbacks in the league."
However, Mahomes noted all NFL quarterbacks feel pressure to prove their worth.
"You always feel like you have more to prove," he said. "I promise Tom Brady is feeling like he has more to prove.
"That comes with any sport, any competitor. If you're not getting better, you're getting worse. They build you up to tear you down. You've got to kind of know that.
"For me, it's all about how I can make myself better, not what other people say. How can I make myself better so that we go out there and play football games?
"At the end of the day, nothing matters until you're on that football field playing, and that's where you get to prove who you are every single day."