Final Results of the Byron Murphy Jr. Sweepstakes Announced
The Vikings entered free agency with a long list of potentially departing in-house free agents. However, most attention has been spent on four players. Those, of course, include quarterback Sam Darnold as well as safety Cam Bynum and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. On free agency eve, Aaron Jones already agreed to a two-year deal with the Vikings.
Final Results of the Byron Murphy Jr. Sweepstakes Announced
Murphy Jr.’s next team is now known, as he will return to the Twin Cities for a third campaign.
Tom Pelissero reported on the social media platform X: “The Vikings and Pro Bowl CB Byron Murphy agreed to terms on a monster three-year, $66 million contract — a $22M average per year, sources tell me and Ian Rapoport. Agent Zeke Sandhu of Klutch Sports negotiated the deal, which keeps Murphy in Minnesota after his breakout season.”
The Vikings confirmed the deal.
He is represented by Klutch Sports, but Kwesi Adofo-Mensah also came in clutch. The cornerback market was slowly running out of big guys, as D.J. Reed, Charvarius Ward, and Carlton Davis signed elsewhere.
The cornerback has been Minnesota’s CB1 for two years. He signed in 2023 and bolstered a cornerback room that desperately needed some reinforcement. The cost? Well, the initial deal was a two-year contract worth $17.5 million. He snatched some additional incentives last year for his Pro Bowl nomination and for snaps played.
His departure would’ve left the Vikings really scrambling for CB help. They now employ the following players:
- Byron Murphy Jr.
- Isaiah Rodgers
- Mekhi Blackmon
- Dwight McGlothern
- NaJee Thompson
- Reddy Steward
- Kahlef Hailassie
- Nahshon Wright
- Ambry Thomas
Acquiring cornerback Isaiah Rodgers was the first move the Vikings made in free agency. The speedy defender is just coming off a Super Bowl victory, and he will likely be slated for the CB2 role.
Mekhi Blackmon missed the entire 2024 season due to a torn ACL but should be fully cleared by the time training camp rolls around. Dwight McGlothern showed some flashes in last year’s camp and the preseason but rarely saw the field in his debut season. Perhaps the most notable among the other defenders is Ambry Thomas, who was a contributor with the 49ers for years but also missed 2024 injured.
Murphy Jr. has played in 31 games with the purple franchise, grabbing nine interceptions, including a career-high of six last season. He also made 138 tackles through two years.
The defender is a versatile piece in the secondary, bringing the ability to play inside and outside to the table.
Last June, Murphy Jr. 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.”
His wish has been granted, and he received a huge raise in the process. Murphy Jr. is 27 years old.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Aaron Jones’ Contract Numbers And Cap Hits Emerge
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