”It’s a lot of hard work I put in the offseason, coaches, the guys in my [position] room just getting me better,” Murphy said. “I just love this team, to come to work every single day.“
Murphy also will be one of the Vikings’ most important offseason decisions.
He had turned down an extension offer before the season, opting to play out the final season of his two-year, $17.5 million deal. His 2022 back injury made his first deal with the Vikings more affordable, but the 26-year-old has been healthy this year, playing 92% of the Vikings’ defensive snaps, and is closing in on an incentive that would pay him an extra $1 million if he plays at least 85% of their snaps.
He can make another $250,000 if he’s named to the initial Pro Bowl team, and would make $1 million or $500,000 for first- or second-team All-Pro selections, respectively.
The incentives provide an on-ramp to a big payday this offseason, at the same time the Vikings consider whether to re-sign Camryn Bynum and pursue a bigger extension for Josh Metellus. Murphy figures to be one of the better corners on the free agent market this spring, and could command more than $17 million per season with a new deal.
Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin will also be free agents for the Vikings, who have little long-term depth at the position, so bringing Murphy back could be a high priority for a team that could have between $60 million and $70 million of available cap space.