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CINCINNATI — The Bengals have declined the fifth-year option on defensive end Myles Murphy’s rookie contract, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Thursday.
The decision comes one day before the deadline for teams to exercise the fifth-year option for first-round draft picks in 2023. Had the Bengals picked up the option, Cincinnati would have been on the hook for an estimated $14.5 million for the 2027 season, according to OverTheCap.com.
However, that doesn't mean that the Bengals want to move on from Murphy, who is coming off his best season to date. In 2025, he had 5.5 sacks and was a bright spot on a defense that struggled.
"He's a 24-year-old guy that's just starting to scratch the surface," Bengals de facto general manager Duke Tobin said earlier this week. I was pleased with his progression last year and how he took ownership of the starting role and how he grew throughout the season.
"By the end of the year, he was a problem for teams. He's a guy that we believe in."
Declining the fifth-year option gives the Bengals a bit more flexibility to negotiate with Murphy on a future long-term deal. Even if the option gave the Bengals a cost-controlled year, Murphy's salary for 2027 would have been fully guaranteed.
And after the recent trade for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II, Cincinnati isn’t working with as much future salary cap space as usual following the aggressive move to trade for Lawrence in exchange for the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft.
Before the decision to decline Murphy's option was reported, Tobin indicated that any action on Murphy's rookie contract will be done through a fiscal lens.
"It will primarily be a financial decision one way or the other," Tobin said. "He's a guy we are counting on not only this year, [but] we would like a long-term relationship with him."
If the Bengals and Murphy do not iron out a deal before the start of next offseason, he will become an unrestricted free agent. Outside of that, Cincinnati could choose to retain his rights by using the franchise or transition tags.
The Bengals, who have missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, have spent significant draft capital on edge rushers. Cincinnati has recently drafted two former Texas A&M edge rushers at the top of the draft — Shemar Stewart (first round, 2024) and Cashius Howell (second round, 2025).
