After the best season of his career, Byron Murphy is looking to cash in. The 27-year-old cornerback is seeking upwards of $20MM per year on his next contract, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline.
Such a deal would make Murphy one of the six highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL, though Derek Stingley and Sauce Gardner are expected to reset the market on their extensions.
The 2019 second-rounder only earned a two-year, $17.5MM contract from the Vikings in 2023 after a season-ending back injury in his final year with the Cardinals. He put together a solid debut in Minnesota before an excellent 2024 that ended with his first Pro Bowl selection. He recorded team- and career-highs with six interceptions and 14 passes defended, positioning himself as the best young cornerback to hit free agency.
However, that still may not get him the contract he desires. Murphy is expected to receive offers with an APY between $15MM and $18MM, according to Pauline, well below his preferred number. Two factors will hurt Murphy’s valuation: he has just one year of elite play on his resume, and several other starting cornerbacks will be available in free agency. If Murphy holds firm at a $20MM APY, teams may explore other options instead of breaking the bank for him.
The Vikings are still “hoping” to re-sign Murphy, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. They pushed back the void date of his contract a few weeks ago, giving the two sides more time to negotiate before free agency begins next week. Murphy turned down an extension offer last year, and his value has skyrocketed since then.
Minnesota’s decision not to tag Sam Darnold could potentially add a twist to their negotiations with Murphy. The $20.2MM cornerback franchise tag would set a high threshold for a long-term deal, but the $17.6MM transition tag could be in play. Murphy would have the opportunity to explore the market and push for his desired $20MM APY. If he doesn’t attract the offers he’s looking for, he could resume long-term negotiations with the Vikings with the transition tag as a starting point.
That’s pretty steep, despite Murphy’s impressive year and Minnesota’s need. Murphy was a great pickup, but I also suppose that it’s a good bet to seek out former Cardinals defensive picks who were misused in Arizona. We seem to see those guys rebound or excel more frequently with new teams (Murphy, Butler, Allen).
Jokes aside, Murphy is going to get a good deal, but I doubt that he’ll pass the likes of Terrell, Ward, or Alexander on this pact. He’s definitely not getting Ramsey or Surtain money, but I would wager that that’s his argument, that he’s not trying for a reset. The cap increase will help, but teams probably want to see what the Stingley and Gardner deals come out to be, too.
Murphy could be up there if this were his second or third season of quality starts to go with his breakout, but right now he’s on a different team than who drafted him and he only has this one great year, so he’s probably seen as the next tier player. Teams probably want to see what the new top tier will look like under this cap before rushing to hand Murphy his money.
The Vikings also have to worry about money for Darnold (or another quarterback) and figure out if they’re going to re-sign Jones or get another back. Murphy will definitely get an offer from Minnesota, but I highly doubt that it’s in the $20 million range. I don’t quite see another team getting that high, either, though they may exceed whatever the Vikings offer.