Myles Murphy Details Top Trait He's Picked up From Bengals' Veteran Defensive Additions

Myles Murphy is absorbing all the knowledge he can from the newest defensive weapons on the Bengals' roster.

He spoke with reporters at his locker on Sunday afternoon about the biggest things he is picking up from Boye Mafe and more.

Cincinnati went through an intense practice earlier that included plenty of 11-on-11 reps for Mafe, Murphy and more.

"Just the mental piece aspect," Murphy detailed about Mafe in particular. "Well, of course, rushing. Like he has coached all of us up on a little bit of rushes, footwork, and steps and all that stuff. But his football IQ is like second to none. He knows ball. I think that's one of the big reasons why we got him here. Of course, he can rush. He's a very powerful, twitchy player, but his IQ is very high as well. So I think that's one of the big reasons why we got him here. That's one of the things that I'm really quickly learning every single day being around him."

Massive Few Months

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill (92) and defensive end Myles Murphy (99) sack Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) in the second quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. The Steelers led 10-6 at halftime. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

One could argue the next few months represent the most important, pressure-packed window of Murphy's football life.

If he parlays a great 2026 with the strong play he displayed to close last season, a huge payday is coming down the pipe from the Bengals or another pass-rush-needy team.

He posted 5.5 sacks in the final four weeks last season, to stamp a career-high 682 snaps. It also amounted to a career-high 64.2 Pro Football Focus grade.

Next? A massive contract campaign. He seems ready to tackle it all with strong play.

"Just knowing who I am and just seeing what I can be," Murphy said about his increasing confidence. "Honestly, like putting different things on tape from last year, and knowing that I can build off of it, being around veteran guys that were in my shoes and like giving me pointers on how they made those next steps, that just gives me more confidence honestly, moving forward and being able to know the defense and then help out some of the younger guys or guys that are like with me. So yeah, just going into the season with more confidence."

Check out more from the 24-year-old below via CLNS Media's Mike Petraglia:

“His football IQ is second to none. He knows ball.” Myles Murphy on Boye Mafe and the impact he’s had on him and Bengals D. pic.twitter.com/EcvvEeuSNo
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) August 9, 2026

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