Packers predicted to ‘steal’ $17.5 million, 14-INT corner from NFC North rival Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings instantly improved on offense this offseason by signing veteran running back Aaron Jones away from the Green Bay Packers.

Could Green Bay return the favor in 2025 by poaching one of Minnesota’s rising stars on defense?

At 12-2, the Vikings have plenty of work left to do in 2024. But in about three months, they’ll be among the NFL’s most intriguing teams at the start of the new league year. With major free agent decisions to make on players like Jones, QB Sam Darnold, CB Byron Murphy Jr. and safety Cam Bynum — just to name a few — Minnesota will be hard-pressed to keep this year’s jelling roster together.

MORE: NFL power rankings Week 16: Disrespect for Vikings hits new levels after 7th straight win

Some key Vikings starters could be on the move this spring, and after failing to reach an agreement during offseason extension talks, Matt Holder of Bleacher Report believes Murphy Jr. will be one of them. Holder recently predicted the 26-year-old nickel corner with a career-high six interceptions this season will land with arch rival Green Bay this March.

Here was Holder’s take on the potential move:

Eric Stokes is an impending free agent and while Keisean Nixon has replaced Stokes in the starting lineup at outside cornerback, Nixon has traditionally been better covering the slot. With that, Green Bay might want to slide him back inside and look to add another starting corner in the offseason. It’d be nice to steal Murphy away from a division rival seeing as he’s having a career season in Minnesota this fall. The 26-year-old who turns 27 next month already has the most interceptions of his career with six and has surrendered a meager 69.4 passer rating when targeted, per Pro Football Focus.

The case for Murphy Jr. is an interesting one. The cost for his services is rising, likely well above the two-year, $17.5 million deal he signed with Minnesota in 2023. He’s been a solid player for the Vikings throughout his time there, but has really blossomed this season after the team added boundary corners Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin to the mix. Those moves allowed Murphy to get more reps inside, and the results speak for themselves. His six interceptions rank third in the NFL entering Week 16, and he now has 14 INTs over his six-year career.

The Vikings have the sixth-most projected cap space in football and a major projected need at cornerback, with both Gilmore and Griffin headed for free agency as well. With that said, Murphy may have priced himself out of Minnesota’s plans with his play this season, as the team will now have to weigh paying market value for a slot corner. The two sides will likely try to get a deal done this offseason, but it’s certainly no guarantee, and a big extension could come with a move back outside to the boundary.

Green Bay has an ascending defense, with new additions like Xavier McKinney making an instant impact. Adding another elite playmaker like Murphy Jr. could definitely be on the Packers’ radar, especially with a chance to weaken Minnesota’s top-of-the-league defense.

If Murphy Jr. does hit the open market, the Packers figure to have stiff competition, both from Minnesota and the rest of the NFL field. The Vikings missed a chance to lock Murphy Jr. up with a more team-friendly deal this past summer, and they could be paying the price for that this spring.