Byron Murphy didn’t notice it when he suffered a Grade 3 medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear on the third play of the Cincinnati Bengals game last year. A Grade 3 tear is a complete tear of the ligament in the knee, the most severe MCL injury a person can suffer. However, Murphy played 69 defensive snaps (99%) and five on special teams (19%) in the Minnesota Vikings’ 27-24 Week 15 loss.
“I felt it when I was breaking on my inside,” Murphy said at the end of the season last year. “It’s just like a little sharp pain, but I [could] get through it. But after that game, it just kinda, my knee swelled up, and then after that, it was just like, ‘Alright, now I can feel it.’ I can’t even move it.
“The next day, I tried to go practice, everything, I couldn’t even go. So then I got an MRI, not expecting what they said, but then it came back, I had a Grade 3.”
The Vikings had just shut out the Las Vegas Raiders, 3-0, on the road in Week 14. They also hadn’t given up 30 points to an opponent all season, except for the Philadelphia Eagles (34-28) in Week 2. However, Zac Taylor solved Minnesota’s defense using the dagger concept, and the Vikings gave up 30 points in their next three games – all losses. Murphy missed all three of those games.
“This one kinda hurt just because I didn’t know this was something serious until I got the MRI,” Murphy said last January, “but it just sucks because it was my goal not to miss any games. And then obviously, when it came to like those clutch times, those clutch moments, it means I couldn’t be out there so that kinda sucked for me.”
Minnesota’s defense didn’t break because of Murphy’s absence. However, the 26-year-old corner played a vital role on Brian Flores’ unit last year. The Vikings signed Murphy to a two-year, $17 million contract last offseason, and he became a valuable veteran presence in an unproven cornerback room. Harrison Smith, 34, is the foundation of Minnesota’s secondary, but Murphy holds the unit together.
Dallas Turner and Jonathan Greenard will make the headlines because they’re defensive ends, and no defense can function without pressuring the quarterback. The Vikings traded up to take Turner in this year’s draft and doled out $42 million guaranteed for Greenard, 27. The other big defensive free agents were Blake Cashman, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Jerry Tillery. Ivan Pace Jr. played well as an undrafted free agent last year. Josh Metellus is an intriguing, versatile player. And Camryn Bynum looks like a reliable safety partner for Smith.
However, Murphy is the most proven player at a position where the Vikings have a lot of uncertainty. Shaquill Griffin is an enigma; so is Akayleb Evans. Andrew Booth Jr. has suffered multiple injuries. Khyree Jackson, 24, and Mekhi Blackmon, 25, are promising young players but still developing. Still, Murphy is excited to play in Flores’ defense, and Flores should be able to generate more pressure with better players this year.
“I just love this defense,” Murphy said at OTAs on Wednesday. “It’s a different defense coming from where I came from. But just coming here, loving the defense, loving the start of everything, the pressure we got, all the things we can change up, and all that type of stuff.”
The Arizona Cardinals took Murphy, who grew up in Scottsdale, in the second round of the 2019 draft. Murphy spent his first four years with the Cardinals before signing with the Vikings and immediately took to Flores’ unique defense.
Flores doesn’t have a system. Instead, he builds his defense around his players’ talents. Still, the corners must do their job to prevent opposing quarterbacks from lighting them up like they did beginning with the Cincinnati game last year. Murphy is encouraged by Minnesota’s secondary so far in OTAs. He believes in Flores and thinks they have the personnel to build off the foundation he laid last season.
“You added some more guys in our room,” said Murphy. “Obviously, we got Shaq, older vet guy, gives us more knowledge every single day. We got some younger guys that’s coming in, Day 1, making plays. It’s just a good group of new guys that’s coming in and learning the defense. It’s just crazy that we’re already clicking and getting on the same page.”
Still, Murphy likely will be Minnesota’s defensive lynchpin. He’s not the wily veteran like Smith or the middle linebacker with the green dot. Murphy won’t pressure the quarterback like Turner and Greenard. However, he’s the most proven corner and will often line up against the opponent’s best receiver. Murphy didn’t make headlines last year, but the Vikings missed him when he was gone.
Tom Schreier
Tom Schreier is the founder and proprietor of Zone Coverage. He created Zone Coverage with the goal of mixing new age media with old-school journalism. His goal was to create an economically sustainable platform for sports content for Minnesota fans. Before Zone Coverage, Tom wrote for Bleacher Report and Yahoo! Sports before joining 105 The Ticket in 2014.
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