We’re 18 days away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. We’re going over every single player on the Bengals’ 90-man roster until final cuts. Check out previous player profiles here.

The next player in the series is a former first-round pick with so much to play for this season.

Myles Murphy Player Profile

Age: 24
Year: 4th
Position: Defensive end
College: Clemson
Jersey Number: 99

Myles Murphy was selected No. 28 overall in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Bengals. Prior to the NFL, Murphy played three years (2020-22) at Clemson, starting 27 of the 38 games he played. He was named first-team All-ACC in 2022 and finished his collegiate career with 17.5 sacks and 37 tackles for loss. As a rookie, he appeared in all 17 games and finished with three sacks, three tackles for loss, and 20 total tackles. His pass rush win rate of 12.7% ranked third out of 13 first-year EDGEs who rushed the passer at least 150 snaps. He wasn’t nearly as productive in 2024 as a training camp knee injury kept him out of the first four weeks, and he never caught his stride after that.

Cincinnati cleared the way for Murphy to see the field more often in 2025, but he still started the year on the bench while Joseph Ossai started opposite of Trey Hendrickson. Things changed in the middle of the year when Hendrickson suffered what ended up as a season-ending injury. He started the last nine games and amassed 31 pressures, four sacks, and a pass rush win rate of 13.4%.

Contract details

Murphy is entering the last year of his four-year, $12,587,256 rookie contract. He will earn a fully guaranteed base salary of $2,466,444 for the 2026 season, which is also represents his total cash earnings. When adding on his signing bonus proration of $1,538,592, his salary cap hit for the season will be $4,005,036.

Roster outlook

The Bengals are going all-in on Murphy for this year. He’s starting opposite of free agent addition Boye Mafe, and they are counting on him having his best season yet. After this year, it’s all up in the air.

Murphy’s fifth-year option was declined earlier in the offseason. His second-half surge from last season wasn’t enough for Cincinnati to commit to him for 2027. He’s scheduled to hit free agency next offseason, and if he shines as a full-time starter at just 24 years of age, there’s no telling how well he’ll do on the open market.

If all goes right this year, Murphy can make the Bengals look silly for not locking him in to a guaranteed salary next season. In the mean time, they would love if their first-rounder from three years ago puts on a show this year.

Roster odds: 100%