Bengals Interested In Retaining DE Myles Murphy Beyond 2026

The chance of a departure on the open market will become a talking point, especially if Murphy delivers a strong showing in his fourth Cincinnati season. The Bengals have been communication with him during an offseason marked by several defensive additions. No extension is in place now, but a second Cincinnati pact could still be in store in the future.

De facto general manager Duke Tobin expressed the team’s desire to keep Murphy in place for the long term, as the Clemson product noted when speaking to the media (h/t Laurel Pfahler of the Dayton Daily News). Several big-money investments have been made on defense recently by the Bengals, a team which traded for Dexter Lawrence and added one year to his deal upon arrival. Cincinnati also brought in Boye Mafe in a bid to replace the production lost through Trey Hendrickson‘s departure.

“I knew it was a possibility,” Murphy said when reflecting on finding out his option would be declined. “Duke and everyone upstairs, they’ve been pretty transparent on ‘we spent a lot of money this offseason.’ So, it does make sense. We talk. No hard feelings. We talk about everything, so really, just doing my job right now, getting ready for the upcoming season, trying to be in the best shape I can be, the best teammate I can be.”

Murphy occupied a rotational role during his first two seasons in the league, managing only three sacks across that span. The 24-year-old saw another uptick in playing time in 2025, though. Murphy made 10 starts and posted 5.5 sacks, 17 pressures and six tackles for loss. Joseph Ossai and Cameron Sample also left in free agency, so a heavy workload should be expected for Murphy ahead of his pivotal fourth season.

Picking up Murphy’s option for 2027 would have cost $14.48MM. It came as little surprise when the Bengals opted not to make that commitment based on his production to date. Nevertheless, another step forward in 2025 would set Murphy up for a payday with Cincinnati or another team next spring.