Murphy, the team’s first-round draft pick in 2023, seemed well aware of the pressure on him in Year 3. Sam Hubbard’s retirement and questions surrounding Trey Hendrickson’s future amid contract discussions and a trade request mean Murphy has to be ready for a bigger role.
The Bengals didn’t go out and invest in new pass rushers during free agency, and although that also can be addressed in the draft this weekend, it’s clear the organization is still counting on guys like Murphy and free agent returnees Joseph Ossai and Cam Sample. The hope seems to be that they will make big strides under new defensive coordinator Al Golden and defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“I mean, I bet on myself every time, but then again, like the pieces that we have here with Joe, Cam, hopefully, Trey (Hendrickson), too, I bet on these guys every day as well,” Murphy said. “So I don’t blame them. Not one bit.”
Murphy had expected Year 2 to go much better than it did. He had spent his rookie season rotating at both ends, an adjustment after mainly playing on the right in college, but he played just 28 percent of the defensive snaps and finished with 20 tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks and three quarterback hits.
Most of his production came in the second half of that 2023 campaign and gave Murphy something to build on in 2024, but no tangible progress was made. A knee injury in training camp set him back, as he was sidelined the first four weeks, and Murphy never could get into a rhythm once he returned. He finished with zero sacks.
“There’s a lot that factors into it,” Murphy said of why he wasn’t able to do more his first two seasons. “Like, in high school and college, I’ve been able to just out-athlete people, and, like, now I’ve been noticing just you have to be technical in your game. Regardless of how athletic or great you are, you have to be technical 24/7, and I feel like I wasn’t taking that as serious as I should.
“But most definitely, like with the coaches that we got now, with Coach Montgomery, like talking with him, how much of a technician he is as a coach, and how high his expectations are to get out of his players, to be technical with their work, I’m excited for what’s gonna happen.”
Murphy said he also could have handled his injury better with nutrition, so that’s a big thing he has focused on this offseason to get his body into peak physical condition. That included getting a nutritionist, counting calories and learning how his body reacts to different foods.
Being more productive in terms of stats on the field will take more than just preparing his body, though. Montgomery talked at the NFL Combine about the challenges of teaching the finishing aspect of pass rushing when it’s not repped in practices.
Murphy said even if players aren’t touching the quarterback in practice, it’s important to take those reps seriously and finish the entire drill. That means coming off an offensive lineman or coach or cone and finishing low with control but speed and exploding toward the quarterback. Last year, he maybe wasn’t doing that enough in practices and in the games, he just looked tentative.
“Most definitely kind of looked hesitant, not too confident in knowing that the move is gonna work,” Murphy said. “Even when I did have clean reps, clean wins, it still looked hesitant almost. So most definitely, just throwing all that behind me, saying this move is gonna work, and I’m gonna get to the quarterback and I’m gonna finish through him. … Just f--- it and just go, just get to the quarterback, honestly.”
Murphy said he knows the expectations that come with the “first-round draft pick” tag, but he’s treating it like it’s “me versus me.” He learned back in college when the NFL chatter started just to stay off social media and let others talk while he just managed his business on the field.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
It’s difficult to ignore sometimes, especially with so much attention on the Bengals’ shortcomings on the defensive line last year, but Murphy is trying to stay locked in on what he needs to do this offseason to have his best season in 2025.
“I know it’s like people talking on the internet, but they’re not my coaches,” Murphy said. “That’s why I’m talking to Coach Montgomery and Coach (Al) Golden. So that’s how I’m operating.”
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