The Chargers have declined Murray's fifth-year option for 2024, ESPN's Lindsey Thiry reports.
Picked 23rd overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, Murray started all 16 games as a rookie and started another 16 in 2022, but his campaign in between was cut short by an ankle issue. He hasn't been a playmaker at the off-ball linebacker spot, registering just two sacks, one interception and zero forced fumbles or recoveries across 44 games.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Reduced role
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Murray finished the 2022-23 season with 76 tackles (50 solo), one sack, six additional tackles for loss, a forced fumble and an interception across 17 games.
Murray saw a smaller role this season as he was outplayed by both Drue Tranquill and Kyle Van Noy. Despite the reduced playing time, the one-time first-round pick finished third on the team in tackles and recorded the first interception and forced fumble of his career. However, Murray once struggled mightily in pass coverage, allowing a quarterback rating of 110.5 when targeted according to Pro Football Focus. While the 24-year-old has yet to live up to his expectations, he continues to be a solid defender, especially in the run game.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Good to go
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Murray (neck) was a full participant at Tuesday's practice.
Murray suffered a stinger in the Chargers' regular-season finale against the Broncos, but it looks like the issue is not serious following his full participation at practice. Look for him to take on his usual role providing depth at linebacker assuming he avoids any setbacks.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Expected to practice
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Murray (neck) is expected to practice before Saturday's wild-card round game in Jacksonville, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Murray suffered a stinger in the regular-season finale against the Broncos. While he's likely to practice during the week, it will be worth tracking whether the linebacker has any limitations in practice as the Chargers prepare to begin their postseason on the road.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Logs first sack of the year
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Murray recorded six tackles (five solo) and one sack in Monday's 20-3 win over the Colts.
Monday's victory over Indianapolis served as Murray's third game in a row with at least six stops, while he was also able to register his first sack since Week 13 of 2020. The 24-year-old figures to continue operating as a solid complementary linebacker come New Year's Day versus the Rams.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Leading tackler Week 14
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Murray tallied seven tackles (six solo) in Sunday's 23-17 win versus Miami.
Murray tied his season high for tackles while also seeing his largest percentage of defensive snaps played (96) against the Dolphins. The third-year linebacker's production and usage have both improved following his career-worst 2021 campaign, as he's logged 58 tackles, two passes defended and an interception on 551 defensive snaps over 13 games. However, Murray should continue to slot in alongside Kyle Van Noy while Drue Tranquill leads the Bolts' off-ball linebackers in playing time this season.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Dealing with stinger in neck
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Coach Brandon Staley said Monday that Murray has a stinger in his neck, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Staley also said Murray is doing better Monday after being forced out of the Chargers' loss versus Kansas City on Sunday night early, which suggests he may not need to miss any additional game time. If the 2020 first-rounder does miss time though, Kyle Van Noy would probably be in line for increased work.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Questionable to return
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Murray is questionable to return to Sunday's game against Kansas City due to a neck injury.
Murray didn't record any counting stats prior to exiting Sunday's matchup in the third quarter. If he's unable to return, Nick Niemann is a candidate to see increased playing time.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Returns to game
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Murray (head) has returned to Sunday's game against San Francisco, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Murray was evaluated for a head injury in the first half of Sunday's game but returned to the field shortly before halftime. His presence among the Chargers' linebackers will be particularly impactful since Chris Rumph (knee) is inactive.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Possibility for camp
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Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said the hope is Murray (ankle) will be ready for training camp, Gavino Borquez of the team's official site reports.
Murray missed the Chargers' offseason program after undergoing surgery in early April. The 2020 first-round pick dealt with the ankle issue last season, which significantly impacted his output. However, there's optimism that Murray will be fully participating in training camp, so he could be in store for a bounce-back campaign in his third NFL season.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Absent from OTAs
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Murray (ankle) wasn't on the field at OTAs on Monday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Murray's absence isn't a surprise after undergoing ankle surgery in early April. He dealt with a bad ankle for the majority of last season, which significantly limited his output compared to his rookie campaign in 2020. Murray isn't expected to take part in OTAs, while his status for training camp still is unknown.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Placed on IR
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The Chargers placed Murray (ankle) on injured reserve Monday.
Murray had to be carted off the field during Saturday's practice and was quickly ruled out for Monday's contest against the Raiders. The 22-year-old linebacker has totaled 19 tackles and one fumble recovery through the first three weeks of the season. In his absence, Drue Tranquill and Nick Niemann are the most likely candidates for increased snaps.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Finishes game despite injury
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Murray finished Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Cowboys with seven tackles (five solo).
Murray briefly left the game with an ankle injury but managed to return and compile seven tackles. The 2020 first-round pick hasn't been a major playmaker since coming out of college, but Murray has solidified the middle linebacker position that has routinely been an area of issue for the Chargers in recent seasons.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Returns to Sunday's contest
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Murray (ankle) was listed as questionable, but he has returned to action, Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports.
The Chargers received good news, as the 2020 first-round pick quickly returned to action. The 22-year-old registered nine tackles in the season opener and will likely continue that pace as long as he stays healthy this season.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Cleared for opener
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Murray (ankle) wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Heading into his second NFL season, Murray will start at inside linebacker once again. As a rookie, the Oklahoma product produced 107 tackles (68 solo), three pass breakups and a sack across 16 games.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: More tackle opportunities on tap
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Murray is expected to play more "downhill" in coach Brandon Staley's defensive scheme, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
The 2020 first-round pick registered 107 tackles and played in all 16 games during his rookie season, but it was almost viewed as a "down" campaign given the lofty expectations placed on Murray. Staley's new scheme is expected to feature the Oklahoma product heavily, asking Murray to blitz and attack the gaps far more frequently than last season, when Gus Bradley's defensive approach saw the rookie drop back in coverage far more than he was comfortable doing. That could translate to monster IDP numbers, particularly with backup linebacker Denzel Perryman now in Carolina.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Cleared to practice
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Murray (shoulder) has been cleared to practice, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports.
Murray underwent shoulder surgery shortly after the conclusion of the 2020 season but has made a full recovery and has been participating in OTAs with the team. The second-year linebacker, who recorded 107 tackles including one sack over 16 games as a rookie, says he feels 100 percent.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Eight stops on TNF
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Murray had eight tackles (six solo) during Thursday's 30-27 overtime win over the Raiders.
The rookie first-round pick has had at least five tackles in five straight games, and he leads the Chargers with 95 total stops. Murray will get a few extra days of rest before facing the Broncos on Dec. 27.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Continues to rack up tackles
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Murray recorded 10 tackles in the team's Week 4 loss to the Buccaneers.
Murray tied for the team lead with 10 tackles, his second double-digit effort of his rookie season. He has yet to make much of an impact beyond that, however, with only a tackle for a loss and no sacks. Still, he's a stalwart in the middle of the Chargers defense, logging a 97 percent snap rate in Week 4.
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Chargers' Kenneth Murray: Set for starting MLB
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Murray is expected to be the starting middle linebacker entering 2020, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports.
Murray's status as a 2020 first-round pick all but assured him of the role regardless, but a tremendous training camp has drawn a healthy amount of praise. Perhaps even more encouraging for IDP users, head coach Anthony Lynn and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley have suggested Murray will be a "three-down backer," which should provide plenty of tackle opportunities for the downhill thumper. With Denzel Perryman all but pushed aside from the starting lineup, it's entirely possible Murray could post 100-plus tackles if he stays healthy.
