Vikings Sign Former Cardinals CB, Byron Murphy Jr

By Eric Strack |

Updated: Mar 14, 2023

The Minnesota Vikings have become suddenly methodical in their free agency approach over the last 24 hours, signing, re-signing, cutting and restructuring their way into cap compliance. Then on Tuesday night, on the eve of a new league year, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah finally splashed, signing one of the best cornerbacks on the market, Byron Murphy Jr. It’s a 2-year, $22 million deal.

It's a 2-year deal worth roughly $22M, per me and @TomPelissero. One of the top CBs on the market. https://t.co/DhXW2eGVK7
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2023

Who is Byron Murphy Jr?

Murphy is 24-years-old and has four years of NFL experience. Clearly, Kwesi has a type. He is into young players who have yet to hit their potential. Those types of players want shorter, prove-it type deals and, in theory, they should be hungry.

Through three seasons, Byron Murphy Jr stayed pretty healthy, logging about 2800 snaps and playing nearly every game. He suffered a grade 2 lower back strain halfway through 2022, however, and was placed on the injured reserve for the final 9 weeks of the season.

PFF is luke warm on Murphy. Others love him. But one thing is for sure. The Minnesota Vikings have their new CB1.

Excellent signing. A 25 year old CB with nickel and outside experience that thrives in man coverage. Exactly what MIN needed. https://t.co/fdXGEbB2Dm
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) March 15, 2023