New Viking Lobs a Backhanded Compliment at One of MIN’s Top Players
New Viking Isaiah Rodgers appears to be settling in nicely in Minnesota. The former Colt and Eagle is already pretty open with his opinions — such as the message he sent to Brian Flores.
A few days ago, Mr. Rodgers continued with his candor, commenting on Byron Murphy Jr.’s interceptions in 2024. Rodgers thinks that the number should have been a decent bit higher, insisting that Murphy left some production on the field by missing several interceptions. Bold move for a new guy, but the pair — Murphy and Rodgers — appear to be on the same wavelength.
New Viking Praises (Critiques?) MIN’s CB1
First, dig into what Rodgers had to say. Murphy did well to get to 6 interceptions but he could have been sitting at 10.
“Lot of plays on the ball, lot of interceptions,” Rodgers says of Murphy, “he dropped a lot, though.” The new corner then says that Murphy should have had “at least 10” interceptions while clarifying that he is building a strong relationship with Minnesota’s CB1. The pair are watching film together.
Byron Murphy also had a quick chat with the media. In the brief back and forth, Murphy gets asked about Isaiah Rodgers.
Murphy confirms that the pair are building their friendship: “I’d probably say that’s my best friend already.” Murphy says they’re playing video games together before responding to the assertion that some interceptions were missed. “I dropped probably like 5 or 6,” Murphy confirms, “I don’t know the exact number but I gotta go make up for it this year, for sure.”
The versatile veteran — Mr. Murphy — originally got signed by the Vikings in the 2023 offseason. He fits well with Brian Flores since the DC wants to lean on players who are smart, strong communicators, and versatile.
The debut season in Minnesota went well, all things considered. Byron Murphy played in fourteen games while accumulating 57 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 13 passes defended. He then did even better, starting in all seventeen games for 2024 while picking up 81 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 14 passes defended. A well-earned Pro Bowl trip followed.
Seeing Mr. Murphy increase his INTs rather than decrease would be a welcome sight for everyone who calls Minnesota home. Maybe the friendly push from his new running mate — Mr. Rodgers — will help with the effort.
Ongoing employment as a Viking involved handing Byron Murphy a three-year deal that’s tipping the scales at $54 million. Meanwhile, Isaiah Rodgers came to town after securing a two-year deal that’s a hair above $11 million.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering, Isaiah Rodgers has 3 interceptions…in his career. Maybe the pair will push each other in 2025 by seeing who can pluck the most passes out of the sky. Some friendly competition may help propel the Vikings toward a winning season.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
