Vikings' Byron Murphy: Avoiding offseason knee surgery

Murphy said Jan. 7 that he suffered a Grade 3 MCL sprain in the Vikings' Week 15 loss to the Bengals, but he won't require surgery and expects to be fully healthy for OTAs, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

The knee injury kept Murphy out for the final three weeks of the regular season, though Minnesota never officially placed him on injured reserve. When healthy, Murphy was easily the Vikings' most productive cornerback. In his first season of the two-year, $17.5 million deal that he signed with Minnesota this past offseason, the 26-year-old led the team in both passes defensed (13) and interceptions (three) while also compiling 57 tackles and a forced fumble over his 14 appearances. With a full offseason ahead of him, Murphy shouldn't face any restrictions heading into training camp and should open his second season in Minnesota in 2024 as a full-time starter.