The Cincinnati Bengals have spent much of the offseason working on their defense, and they will enter the 2026 campaign with a unit that, on paper at least, is vastly improved. Even though the team lost its best player, Trey Hendrickson, to the Baltimore Ravens, the Bengals have found a way to make improvements at just about every spot on this side of the ball.
One guy whose future in Cincinnati appears to be somewhat uncertain is former first-round pick Myles Murphy. Earlier this offseason, the Bengals declined the fifth-year option in Murphy’s rookie deal, meaning he is entering the final year of his contract. While he is coming off the best season of his career, this may be a wake-up call for Murphy, who kept it real when discussing Cincinnati’s decision on his contract.
Myles Murphy Addresses Bengals’ Decision to Decline His Fifth-Year Option
The Bengals selected Murphy with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he struggled to make much of an impact during his first two seasons in the pros. Murphy didn’t start a single game in 2023 or 2024, which is rather disappointing, considering the high selection Cincy used on him.
Murphy finally managed to carve out a consistent role for himself in 2025, as he started 10 of the 17 games he played in. When he was on the field, Murphy showed flashes of the player the Bengals believe he can become, as he racked up 52 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and three pass breakups, which was especially important when considering how much time Hendrickson missed throughout the year.
Now that Hendrickson is gone for good, Murphy seems set to take on an even bigger role for Cincinnati along its defensive line. Still, the team wasn’t comfortable exercising his fifth-year option, as it felt it needed to see more from Murphy. The former Clemson Tigers star is now entering a pivotal contract year, and he made it clear that he is holding no ill will towards the Bengals for declining his option.
“I knew it was a possibility,” Murphy said, via Laurel Pfahler of the Dayton Daily News. “Duke (Tobin) 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.”
Myles Murphy Aiming to Prove He’s Worthy of a Big Deal from the Bengals
GettyCincinnati Bengals edge rusher Myles Murphy
The Bengals have made it clear that they still want to keep Murphy in town for the long-term future, but his fifth-year option was a little too rich for their liking. They could conceivably try to extend Murphy before the start of the new season, but he will likely play out the final year of his deal in an attempt to earn himself more money next offseason.
With Murphy’s role set to expand, this is a bit of a risk for Cincinnati, as it could end up losing a lot of money if the talented pass rusher balls out in 2026 and earns a massive pay raise. The Bengals would rather play things safe, though, in case Murphy doesn’t pan out, so now, it’s on him to prove that he’s worthy of the sort of big-money contract that the Bengals have been unwilling to give him to this point.
Myles Murphy Sends Clear Message on Bengals Contract Decision