The Bengals have declined the 5th year option of DE Myles Murphy.
Murphy, of course, was the team’s 1st round pick in 2023. As is standard with all 1st round picks, you get a 5th year option that must either be picked up or declined prior to their 4th season in the league.
This is an interesting one, as many expected it to go the other way. Murphy had made some significant progress in the back half of last season, playing more snaps with Trey Hendrickson hurt. There was belief that this progress had tipped the scale in favour of the option being picked up.
Had the Bengals exercised the option, it would have guaranteed Murphy $14.5M in 2027. Given that he has not fully proven himself yet, it seems as though this price was a bit too steep for the Bengals, despite there being optimism that he will continue to grow.
Reports, including one from Kelsey Conway, have indicated that the team is still very interested in signing Murphy to an extension. This would further indicate that their decision was mostly influenced by the money.
The interesting thing to wonder about will be Murphy’s willingness to sign an extension below that tag number. He is the presumed starter this season and, if he continues to grow as a player, might actually be able to get more than that next offseason as a free agent. Of course, the risk for him is that he doesn’t quite reach that level and he ends up leaving money on the table if he doesn’t sign an extension.
For the Bengals, Murphy is still a promising player. Hopefully the two sides can reach a compromise that will keep him in Cincinnati longer term.
