The Bengals have until May 1st to decide if they want to exercise Murphy’s fifth-year option or let his current contract expire at the end of next season. Murphy, who has totaled 8.5 sacks in 47 career games with the Bengals, had the best season of his career in 2025 and is “just starting to scratch the surface,” per Tobin, but whether or not they want to commit $14.475 million to him to retain him in 2027 is something the team isn’t sure of. We’ll know by the end of this week if Murphy’s option is exercised, but if not, he’ll likely need a breakout season in 2026 if he hopes to sign a long-term deal with the Bengals in the offseason.