After a breakout campaign with the Vikings, star cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. isn’t going anywhere.
In their biggest splash of free agency so far, the Vikings have agreed to terms with Murphy to ensure he remains a part of the secondary for the foreseeable future. He was set to hit the open market this week.
It’s a 3-year, $66 million deal for Murphy, which will make him among the highest-paid players at the position. Though it might seem like a lot of money on the surface, Murphy proved himself worthy of that type of contract with his play on the field.
The going rate for Murphy was established early in the legal tampering period on Monday afternoon as cornerback Carlton Davis agreed to a 3-year, $60 million deal with the New England Patriots and cornerback Charvarius Ward agreed to a 3-year deal, $60 million with the Indianapolis Colts.
Originally selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Murphy has found a home with the Vikings.
Not only has Murphy steadily improved since initially signing a 2-year, $17.50 million deal with the Vikings on March 15, 2023, he’s blossomed into an irreplaceable player because of his versatility and his playmaking.
That was on display time and time again last season as Murphy inside and outside for the Vikings, proving himself as a ballhawk with a career-high 6 interceptions, while adding added 81 tackles, a forced fumble, and 14 pass deflections for good measure.
The fact that the Vikings were able to retain Murphy was extremely important to their secondary after losing veteran safety Cam Bynum, who agreed to a 4-year, $60 million deal with the Colts.
It’s likely that the Vikings will pair Murphy with cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, who agreed to a 2-year, $15 million deal, as well as cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, who is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
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