Byron Murphy may not be returning to the Arizona Cardinals after all
By Jim Koch
The Arizona Cardinals could decide to cut ties with Byron Murphy following the cornerback’s disappointing “contract” campaign.
Early on in the 2022 season, Byron Murphy appeared to be on his way to a fantastic campaign for the Arizona Cardinals. The cornerback’s timing seemed to be impeccable, considering the fact that Murphy was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023.
Unfortunately, things began to go awry for Murphy following Arizona’s Week 9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The squad’s number-one cover guy took the field for the Redbirds in that matchup, but has not played since. Murphy’s “contract” year was derailed by a back injury, and his future with the organization is now uncertain.
Traditionally, back issues have the potential to be career-threatening. That’s not to say that Murphy is dealing with something serious, because we just don’t know. The Cardinals, along with many other NFL clubs, rarely reveal the severity of their players’ injuries to the fans.
Disappointing season has officially ended for Arizona Cardinals cornerback
Murphy’s season officially came to an end on Christmas Eve, when the Cards placed the corner on the injured-reserve list. The designation means that the 5 foot 11,190 pounder will miss the squad’s final three games of the current campaign, after already being sidelined for the last five contests. Not an ideal scenario for an individual who’ll be looking to cash in with a new contract in the offseason.
Back in Week 2, Murphy appeared to be racing towards a new deal with Arizona. During the overtime period of a wild clash with the Las Vegas Raiders, the 24-year-old scooped up a fumble by wideout Hunter Renfrow and ran 59 yards for the winning touchdown. It was precisely the kind of play that a free agent-to-be like Murphy could take to the bargaining table when negotiations for a new contract get underway.
When healthy, Murphy held up well as the top cornerback in the Cardinals secondary. The former second-round draft pick was instrumental in holding dynamic wide receivers like Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp, A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf in check. Had Murphy proven himself worthy of being the heir-apparent to Patrick Peterson, the eight-time Pro Bowler who left the franchise in 2021?
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The former University of Washington product will have to convince prospective suitors that the back ailment that cost him eight matchups will not affect his performance going forward. We’ll know soon enough if the Cards front office will have any interest in keeping the 24-year-old Murphy around.
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