Byron Murphy II hasn't accomplished what Jeffery Simmons did in the first part of his career with the Tennessee Titans. The Seattle Seahawks' defensive tackle could eventually match Simmons, but not yet. That's why what recently happened with the Titans' DT shouldn't concern 12s.
Simmons recently signed a three-year extension with Tennessee worth as much as $105.8 million. That's an average of a whopping $35.3 million a season. He has been a very good player for many seasons, however, and he is only just about to turn 29 years old, so he should be good throughout the life of his new extension.
As for Murphy, Seattle will eventually have to pay him a lot of money, too, but the team doesn't have to worry about that yet. He's only played two seasons, and as a first-round selection in 2024, the team has a fifth-year option for the defensive lineman, which means he will probably be contractually tied to the Seahawks through at least 2028.
Seattle Seahawks likely hope to have to pay Byron Murphy II what the Titans just gave Jeffery Simmons
Seattle also doesn't have to worry about potential extension discussions with Murphy until next offseason at the earliest. Even when those discussions begin, Murphy wouldn't logically have an asking price of something close to what Simmons just received.
The Titans' player has been in the NFL for seven seasons, and he might still be getting better. He had a career-high 11 sacks last season and was named First-Team All-Pro by the Associated Press. In his third and fourth seasons, he was named Second-Team All-Pro.
The hope is that Byron Murphy II becomes the kind of player Simmons currently is, and by doing so, he causes some great financial problems for the Seahawks. Schneider would love the chance to work out a deal of Simmons' ilk if Murphy begins producing like the Tennessee player.
The biggest difference in efficiency between the two players is that while both are very good at rushing the quarterback, Simmons has always been a terrific run-stopper. Murphy isn't quite at Simmons' level.
Again, not yet. Murphy has every chance with the Seattle Seahawks to become the player that Jeffery Simmons is. Murphy certainly has an elite defensive-minded head coach in the person of Mike Macdonald, who will help Murphy play his best.
Seattle's defensive tackle also has excellent players next to him, such as Leonard Williams and Jarran Reed, and that takes some of the focus off Murphy, both in terms of how an opposing offense wants to try to attack the Seahawks defense, and the national fans' view of who plays for Seattle.
Still, 2026 could be a special one for Murphy. He saw a jump in sacks from .5 as a rookie in 2024 to seven last year. He's definitely trending in the correct direction. He could have 10 sacks in 2026. That would help him ask for a lot of money from Seattle to begin in the 2029 season, and he will have earned that right to ask.
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