The Bengals are heading into 2026 with Myles Murphy in position to take over as the face of their pass rush.
Cincinnati passed on Murphy’s fifth-year option, a move that was more about finances than any real doubt about his game. The team avoided locking itself into a fully guaranteed deal for next year, but the path ahead is still very much open for Murphy to cash in if he keeps moving the way he did in 2025.
That breakthrough season gave the Bengals a much better idea of what they have. Murphy, now 24, finally got meaningful snaps and made them count.
He finished with 52 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, and three passes defensed, and his tape showed a player coming into his own. The high motor was there.
The hand usage looked better. He was steady against the run and brought real juice as a pass rusher.
Murphy’s background explains why the Bengals were willing to bet on the upside. He came out of Marietta, Georgia, as a highly regarded high school recruit, then spent three seasons at Clemson. In college, he piled up 116 tackles, 36 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks, and 6 forced fumbles before becoming a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
For the Bengals, the contract situation is straightforward. Murphy is entering the fourth year of his four-year, $12.5 million rookie deal, with a cap hit just over $4 million this season. After the team declined the fifth-year option for the 2027-2028 season, he’ll be headed toward unrestricted free agency after the 2026-2027 football season.
On the field, the expectation is just as clear: Murphy should be a starter on the defensive line in 2026, opposite Boye Mafe. Cincinnati also has depth behind him, with Shemar Stewart and Cashius Howell both expected to get plenty of snaps at defensive end. But this is Murphy’s moment, especially after the best year of his young career.
At this stage, the arrow is pointing up. He’s still only 24, and if last season was the start of the climb, a bigger leap could be coming. Another step forward would put double-digit sacks within reach and set him up for a massive payday when the season ends.
If the Bengals get the kind of finish they’re hoping for, that payday can wait until after the Lombardi Trophy comes home.
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