Inside The Huskies

Ex-UW Corner Byron Murphy Earns Hefty NFL Extension

The defensive back has been at his best with the Minnesota Vikings.
Dan Raley|
Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., the former Husky, has received a rich contract extension.
Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., the former Husky, has received a rich contract extension. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Byron Murphy left his Arizona home to become a standout cornerback for the University of Washington.

He had to do it all over again to fulfill his NFL potential -- and pad his bank account.

On Tuesday, Murphy agreed to a 3-year, $66 million contract extension with the Minnesota Vikings after turning in the most productive of his six pro seasons, which has included the past two in Minneapolis.

A native of Scottsdale, Arizona, he spent his first four years with the Arizona Cardinals before changing teams, which proved to be a very wise move on his part.

With the Vikings, Murphy enjoyed a Pro Bowl season for the first time in 2024 after collecting career highs in interceptions (6), pass break-ups (14) and tackles (81).

Ex-Husky Byron Murphy receives a contract extension.
Ex-Husky Byron Murphy receives a contract extension. | X

At the UW, Murphy arrived from Saguaro High School in the Phoenix suburbs, redshirted and played a season and a half before passing up his final two years of college ball to turn pro in 2019.

The Huskies had him for just 20 games, all of which he started, and he was named first-team All-Pac-12 as a sophomore in 2018. He was the Pac-12 championship game most valuable player against Utah that season after his 66-yard interception return for a touchdown brought the UW a 10-3 victory.

The Cardinals drafted him in the second round with the 33rd pick, with Murphy just missing becoming a first-rounder, and he went on to start 48 of 56 games for them.

Murphy has 14 career interceptions as an NFL player, with nine of them coming with the Vikings.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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