Byron Murphy’s Contract Expectations Emerge
Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy is one of the best free agents in this year’s class after delivering his first Pro Bowl season with a career-high six interceptions. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has the cap space to keep him in the building, but his potential salary will play a big role in whether the Vikes will do that.
Byron Murphy’s Contract Expectations Emerge
Murphy joined in the 2023 offseason after signing a two-year contract. Arizona’s former second-rounder was solid for them but never made the breakthrough into a real CB1. That’s how Adofo-Mensah was able to lure him to the Twin Cities for a total of only $17.5 million.
Two years later, it is fair to say that he has entered CB1 territory over the past two seasons under Brian Flores’ watch.
However, that growth will be visible on his next paycheck. Suddenly, the $17.5 million won’t pay for his services for two years but for only one. That’s about to be the per-year range of his next contract.
In Pro Football Focus’ free agency rankings, Murphy is listed as the 33rd player. His contract prediction? A three-year deal with an annual salary of $17.33 million and $34.5 million in guarantees.
They wrote about him, “Murphy signed a two-year, $17.5 million free agent contract with the Vikings in the 2023 offseason and certainly played up to that deal, looking like a good fit in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ uber-aggressive defense. His six interceptions in 2024 were tied for the most among cornerbacks.”
Murphy was excellent in 2024, sharing the cornerback position with veterans Shaq Griffin and Stephon Gilmore. Regardless, there was no doubt about who the top guy in that position room was.
Marcus Mosher (The 33rd Team) also predicted the contracts of the best free agents. His estimation is close to PFF’s, giving Murphy a total of $50 million ($16.66 million per season) for three years, “Don’t expect him to earn a record-breaking deal or anything like that. Still, somewhere between $15-$17 million per season is about right for Murphy.”
Both numbers would rank him 13th among current cornerback deals in the NFL. He is competing with fellow free agents D.J. Reed, who is a hot name in Skol Nation, Charvarius Ward, Asante Samuel Jr, Carlton Davis, and Rasul Douglas.
In his two seasons with the Vikings, Murphy played 31 regular season games, recording nine interceptions, 138 tackles, and ten tackles for loss.
He is a decent athlete, has the requisite length to be an annoying opponent for wideouts, possesses the ball skills coaches are looking for, and is a willing run defender.
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.”
The Vikings encounter the serious problem of barely having any cornerbacks on board. Mekhi Blackmon, a promising 2023 third-rounder coming off a lost season due to a torn ACL, and last year’s undrafted rookie Dwight McGlothern are the two primary guys in that room right now. Adofo-Mensah needs to find at least two, perhaps three, proven options (or spend a high draft pick).
The latest we’ve heard about Murphy’s future with the Vikings came from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler earlier this week. He wrote: “In the secondary, the sense here is Murphy walks, but Bynum could stay under a new deal.”
Murphy, 27, might have priced himself out of Minnesota’s price range, but the Vikings might prioritize keeping him in the next few weeks. He is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent when the legal tampering window opens on March 10th.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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