Bengals make decision on former first-round pick Myles Murphy
admin_news
The Cincinnati Bengals invested considerable assets toward improving their defense this offseason.
The Bengals traded the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the New York Giants for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II. Then, they signed Lawrence to a one-year, $28 million contract extension.
That move followed the free-agent signings of EDGE Boye Mafe, safety Bryan Cook, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and safety Kyle Dugger. Cincinnati spent its first two draft picks on defensive players as well.
MORE: NFL Power Rankings after the 2026 NFL Draft
On Thursday, April 30, the Bengals pulled back on the spending. The team will not pick up the fifth-year option of defensive end Myles Murphy, according to ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler. The deadline for NFL teams to exercise fifth-year options is Friday.
Career starts slowly
Cincinnati selected Murphy 28th overall in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Clemson. He played in 30 games during his first two seasons but didn’t start any of them. Murphy managed 40 tackles, three sacks and four tackles for loss total in 2023 and 2024.
Murphy emerged during the 2025 season. He played in all 17 games, starting 10, and recorded 52 tackles, 5.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, three passes defensed and a fumble recovery. Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy (99) pulls down Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) after he throws. | The Enquirer via Imagn Images
Duke Tobin, the Bengals’ director of player personnel, said Thursday’s move was more about salary-cap flexibility than a comment on Murphy’s play.
“He’s a 24-year-old guy that’s just starting to scratch the surface,” Tobin said, per Bengals.com. “I was pleased with his progression last year and how he took ownership of the starting role and how he grew throughout the season. By the end of the year, he was a problem for teams. He’s a guy that we believe in. He’s going to be a big part of what [defensive coordinator] Al [Golden] and his staff does.”
Murphy will earn $4 million in his fourth season. He would have been guaranteed $14.5 million for 2027 if the Bengals exercised the option.
“The organization believes in Myles and will continue to explore a long-term relationship,” Tobin said.
Will Murphy thrive in new defense?
It remains to be seen if the Bengals have done enough to improve a defense that ranked 31st in total yards allowed during a 6-11 season in 2025.
The hope in Cincinnati is the addition of Lawrence in the middle of the line will open opportunities for others.
It is up to Murphy to determine whether he continues his progression or gets lost in the shuffle of the defensive upgrades.
His paycheck in 2027 could depend on it.
