Vikings get creative, save $2.1 million with adjustment to Byron Murphy’s contract
Finances have played a huge role in the Minnesota Vikings’ ability to construct a competitive roster ahead of the 2023 season, and with an adjustment to newly acquired cornerback Byron Murphy’s contract, the team managed to save over $2 million against their salary cap.
The #Vikings added three void years to Byron Murphy’s deal, saving $2.1 million of cap space for both 2023 and 2024.
He’ll have $4.2 million of dead money in 2025, but that move should put them just under the cap for this year (h/t @Andrew_Krammer for pointing this out!).
— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) March 21, 2023
This shrewd maneuver involved adding three void years to Murphy’s signed contract, which will incur a dead-money hit for the 2025 season, but free up $2.1 million for them this season. It is worth noting that this move got Minnesota under the salary cap limit, which should enable the Vikings to continue pursuing free agents as the offseason wears on.
The merits of these void-year arrangements are debatable, but for a team that sees itself as being in a championship window, they could prove themselves to be necessary if the Vikings truly think they can compete for a Super Bowl in 2023. While borrowing money from future seasons seems like a desperate move now, the risk would surely be worth the reward if Minnesota manages to bring home a Lombardi trophy next season.
