According to multiple sources, Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. is a top priority re-signing for the team — but, Murphy’s camp is putting those sentiments to the test.
Minnesota Star Tribune beat reporter Andrew Krammer reported on February 26 that Murphy is not expected to give the Vikings a hometown discount.
“I do not expect Byron to give them any kind of hometown discount,” Krammer said on the “Purple Insider” podcast. “They approached his camp before Weel 1 last year, wanting to re-sign him, we mentioned that, and he said no, he didn’t like what they were offering. He said I’m going to play out my contract year.”
Krammer added that Murphy did the same thing with the Arizona Cardinals before he signed a two-year, $17.5 million deal with the Vikings in 2023 free agency.
“[The Cardinals] offered him more money up front and overall than what he actually ended up signing for from the Vikings, so it actually bit him that he didn’t take that deal in Arizona. He still says he’s happy about that because of where he ended up and now he wants to cash in,” Krammer said. “So he missed out on money two years ago, now he wants to cash in — coming off six interceptions, it’s going to cost the Vikings. When you talk about overpaying or really shelling out for him, I think they’re really going to have.”
Byron Murphy Projected to Push for Massive Contract
Murphy showed the Vikings what they had in him for the cheap last season, securing a league-leading six interceptions by a cornerback and showing his versatility to line up inside and outside.
That versatility is tantamount to Brian Flores’ defensive scheme, and given Murphy is a proven commodity that’s shown success in Minnesota, he’s banking on the Vikings wanting that stability over taking a chance elsewhere.
Spotrac projected Murphy to secure a four-year, $88 million deal worth $22 million annually.
However, there is a competitive cornerback market. Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked three corners ahead of Murphy in this year’s free agency.
Murphy’s edge is he just turned 27 years old and has a larger window of his prime left, meaning teams could take a bigger swing on a long-term deal for him.
D.J. Reed, Charvarius Ward and Rasul Douglas are all ranked ahead of Murphy, but again, also carry less certainty with their execution of Flores’ scheme.
Murphy Pushed for a Vikings Extension Last Summer: Report
Krammer’s report comes after an offseason that Murphy told local media he was urging his representation to get a deal done.
“I don’t think I’m going anywhere. That’s my mindset,” Murphy told KSTP’s Darren Wolfson on June 7. I want to stay here. I love this place. Like I said since I been here, since Day 1, I fell in love. So I don’t want to go nowhere. I want to stay here for the rest of my career. Love these guys in the locker room. Love the culture, everything about this place is great. So I’m gonna try to work my a** off to stay here for sure.
“I been trying [to push agent for an extension]. But right now I’m gonna just lock in. I think God is gonna take care of all those things. But I’m gonna just come out here, keep playing ball. But, obviously, I want to stay here. I’m gonna keep making noise around here so I can stay and just get their attention for sure.”
Clearly, the Vikings and Murphy’s camp were divided on the terms of a new deal, which could be a source of tension in their upcoming talks before free agency begins on March 12.
