Byron Murphy Jr. Appears in the News Once Again
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The Minnesota Vikings will be one of the major players in free agency for two reasons. For one, they have roughly $55 million in cap space and can be spenders. However, they also have a long list of impending free agents and need to re-sign or replace them.
Byron Murphy Jr. Appears in the News Once Again
Among the big contributors to the franchise’s success in the 2024 season surely was quarterback Sam Darnold. There have been plenty of reports and rumors about his future. At this point, the more plausible scenario is a departure, although the option to hand him a deal or use the franchise tag is still available.
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On Monday, defender Byron Murphy Jr. appeared in the news as a potential franchise tag candidate, an idea floated by ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. He wrote, “In the end, the Vikings seem more likely to let Darnold sign elsewhere and preserve their tag for a player such as cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., who had a career-high six interceptions in 2024 and is hitting his prime at age 27. If nothing else, it would give the Vikings time to sign Murphy to a longer-term deal while keeping him off the market.”
That idea raised some eyebrows, mainly because the franchise tag for a cornerback is worth roughly $20 million.
The new plot twist came on Tuesday when fellow ESPN insider Dan Graziano reported that his void date had been moved.
“Per a league source, the Vikings and CB Byron Murphy have agreed to push back the void date on his contract. Originally, the deal voided 23 days prior to the start of the league year (either today or tomorrow). Now, it’s the day before the start of the league year, which means Murphy cannot be franchised (since that date is past the deadline for teams to use the franchise tag).”
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The idea of using the franchise tag to keep Murphy around is kaput, but it was a long shot anyway.
The Vikings are now working to negotiate a long-term contract extension. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his front office have performed the same move with Aaron Jones, but Sam Darnold is still eligible for the tag.
Last June, Murphy said in an interview with KSTP’s Darren Wolfson:
“I don’t think I’m going anywhere. That’s my mindset. I want to stay; I love this place. Since I’ve been here since day one, I have fallen in love. I want to go nowhere. I want to stay here for the rest of my career. I love these guys in the locker room and the coaching—everything about this place is great. I’m going to work my ass off to stay here.”
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Murphy arrived in the 2023 free agency. His two-year deal was worth $17.5 million, a number he can make per season in the future after his best season in the league. He caught six interceptions and became the top cornerback for one of the top defenses in the league, resulting in a Pro Bowl nomination.
The 27-year-old will continue to appear in the news until he signs with the Vikings or elsewhere.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Vikings Cap Space Moves in the Wrong Direction as Dead Money Starts Piling Up
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt