It’s Wednesday, which must mean that it’s time for another member of the Minnesota Vikings to be recognized by the league with another award of some sort. This time, however, it isn’t a member of the league’s best special teams unit.
It’s a member of the league’s best defense instead.
The league has just announced that Vikings cornerback
Byron Murphy Jr. has been named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5.
Murphy intercepted Saints’ quarterback Tyler Shough twice in the Vikings’ 23-13 win in New Orleans this past Sunday, with both of them coming in the second half. That made him the first Viking to record multiple interceptions in a game since Camryn Bynum did it in Week 7 of the 2023 season against San Francisco. He’s also the first Vikings player to have two interceptions in a game and at least one tackle for a loss since Harrison Smith did so in Week 16 of the 2017 season in Green Bay.
Murphy is currently tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with three, and has played a role in the Vikings’ defense as a team putting up ten turnovers this season, tied for the second-most in the NFL.
This is the fourth consecutive week that a member of the Vikings has brought home a weekly award. Members of the Vikings brought home Special Teams Player of the Week honors in Weeks 2, 3, and 4 of this season, but this is the first Defensive Player of the Week Award for the team this year.
Unfortunately, the Vikings won’t get an opportunity to run their streak to five weeks in a row, as they’ll be taking Week 6 off to rest for their bye week. We’ll see if they pick up where they left off when they host the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 7.
Congratulations to Byron Murphy Jr. on being named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season!
