Seahawks defensive lineman Byron Murphy II records 21 pressures through seven games

Defensive lineman Byron Murphy II has 21 pressures through the Seattle Seahawks' first seven games of the 2026 season, one behind teammate Leonard Williams for the team lead, according to PFF via TruMedia. Murphy has also recorded three sacks, tying him with three other teammates, and five tackles for loss, two short of his career high.

Murphy, 24, was selected by Seattle with the No. 16 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after playing at Texas. He posted five sacks in 14 games as a junior and earned second-team All-American honors. He said the speed of the professional game has slowed down for him in his third NFL season.

"It's starting to feel like college days," Murphy said last week. "Once the game is slowing down, it's like now I'm not thinking about nothing. I'm just going. I'm just being me. I'm just being Byron Murphy."

Defensive coordinator Aden Durde said Murphy has learned to handle the requirements of Seattle's scheme, which asks linemen to line up against different blockers from play to play. "In this defense, you're not always in the same spot, so it's not like you're studying one player and, 'I'm going to play this player, and I know how he sets,'" Durde said. "He's going to be playing (against) three, maybe four different players throughout the game. Knowing how to deal in those moments, that's him learning."

Murphy stands 6 feet and weighs 306 pounds. Coach Mike Macdonald said Murphy's athleticism allows him to win one-on-one matchups, which creates room for linebackers to make plays. During Seattle's 20-3 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night, Murphy logged three tackles. Linebackers Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight combined for 17 tackles in that game, holding former Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III to 36 yards on 14 carries. "It starts with Murph," Macdonald said. "I think the cool thing is the guys know it, too."

Murphy is eligible for an extension after the 2026 season ends, and his contract includes a fifth-year option for 2028 that the team must decide whether to exercise by May 2027. General manager John Schneider signed wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon, both 2023 first-round picks, to extensions after exercising their fifth-year options. Schneider also gave Leonard Williams a three-year extension in August.

Fellow defensive tackle Jarran Reed said the team should keep Murphy. "You don't let someone like Byron walk out the door," Reed said. "He's like a generational-type player." Since March, seven interior defensive linemen have signed extensions worth at least $26 million per year, including Williams at $30 million.

NFL owners voted on Aug. 26 to approve the sale of the Seahawks to Vinod and Neeru Khosla for $9.612 billion. Seattle ranked 29th in total cash spending last year at $253.6 million, which was 9.2 percent under the cap, according to Over the Cap. This year, the team ranks third at $372.9 million, which is 25.9 percent over the cap. "Our approach is generally going to be long-term focused," Vinod Khosla said in August. "That's our inclination always. So keep winning, take a long-term approach, and learn a lot."

The Seahawks rank second in expected points added on defense with 62.92 this season, per TruMedia, behind the 125.58 figure that led the NFL in 2025. Four teams have allowed fewer points than Seattle's 125 this season, and 47 of those points came off turnovers. Murphy said he feels his play is heading in the right direction.