Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (knee) said he suffered a Grade 3 MCL sprain on the third play of the Dec. 16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Murphy played through the injury in that game, but he didn't appear in another contest the rest of the season. The good news is that he doesn't need surgery, is in the second week of jogging and expects to have a full offseason. The 26-year-old should be ready for organized team activities, training camp and the start of the 2024 regular season. Murphy was the Arizona Cardinals' second-round selection in 2019 out of Washington. He spent the first four years of his NFL career in the desert before joining Minnesota in 2023 and recording 57 tackles (43 solo), four tackles for loss, three interceptions, 13 passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 14 starts.
The Minnesota Vikings agreed to a two-year deal worth roughly $22 million with former Arizona Cardinals cornerback Byron Murphy on Tuesday, according to sources. The Vikings have landed one of the top cornerbacks on the open market this offseason after losing veteran Patrick Peterson. Murphy played in only nine games in his fourth season with the Cardinals in 2022 due to a back injury. The former second-rounder should be back healthy for the Vikings in 2023, though. In his four NFL seasons, Murphy has posted 229 tackles (184 solo), three sacks, nine tackles for loss, four QB hits, five interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 34 passes defensed, one forced fumble and five fumble recoveries (one for a TD) in 56 games (48 starts).
ESPN's Field Yates is expecting the Arizona Cardinals to re-sign impending free-agent cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. this offseason. Murphy is a homegrown talent getting set to enter the prime of his career at a premium position. He won't come cheap due to his ability, but the Cardinals have little reason to move on from him, regardless of the direction of the team in 2023. The 25-year-old finished the year on Injured Reserve due to a back injury and played in only nine games in 2022, but he put up four interceptions and 12 pass breakups the year prior. In his four seasons with the Cardinals, Murphy has recorded 184 solo tackles, five interceptions (one for a touchdown), 34 passes defensed and five fumble recoveries (one for a TD).
Arizona Cardinals defensive back Byron Murphy (back) is not expected to suit up for the Week 14 matchup against the New England Patriots. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Murphy was probably not going to be available when asked if he'd suit up this week. That means, the 24-year-old is likely to miss his fourth straight game due to a lingering back issue. His absence will mean more snaps for Antonio Hamilton in the secondary. Possibly, Murphy can return next week, which would give this defense a small boost.
Arizona Cardinals defensive back Byron Murphy (back) is expected to suit up for the Week 8 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. The stud defensive back is listed as questionable, but it sounds like there's a good chance that he'll play. That is good news for the Cardinals defense. The former second round pick has 29 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and two passes defended through seven games. His return would make the Cardinals defense a much more appealing streaming option.
Byron Murphy, Devon Kennard Placed On COVID-19 List
The Arizona Cardinals placed cornerback Byron Murphy and linebacker Devon Kennard on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday. The Cardinals announced that two of their players tested positive over the weekend during their bye week, and now we know that it was Murphy and Kennard. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury isn't worried about the team having more positive COVID-19 tests throughout the week, and their Week 9 game scheduled against the Dolphins should be played this Sunday. However, the Cardinals Defense is unlikely to have Murphy or Kennard on the field against Miami and rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
