Markets move fast in the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks have a budding superstar in defensive tackle Byron Murphy II. Murphy becomes eligible for a contract extension next offseason, when John Schneider will also be tasked with confirming his fifth-year rookie contract option.
Murphy's eventual negotiations with the Seahawks were first impacted this offseason when the Tennessee Titans signed star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to a three-year extension worth $105.8 million, with $100 million in guarantees, paying him a then-league-high $35.2 million per season.
Well, it didn't take long for Simmons to drop to the second-highest paid defensive tackle in NFL history. On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a four-year, $152 million extension
worth up to $160 million with defensive tackle Jalen Carter, including $106 million guaranteed. Carter will now earn a position-record $38 million per season.
Highest paid DTs in the NFL:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 28, 2026
🏈Jalen Carter: $38M
🏈Jeffery Simmons: $35.2M
🏈Chris Jones: $31.75M
🏈Dexter Lawrence: $28M
🏈Milton Williams: $26M https://t.co/w4GGAbrRno
Murphy's representation is obviously attentive to the deal. Sacks aren't the end-all, be-all stat, but Carter has never registered more than 6.0 sacks in a single season. In fact, he had just three last season and missed numerous games with injury. Meanwhile Murphy notched a career-high 7.0 sacks in 2025.
The way the market is trending, it's not impossible that Murphy becomes the first $40 million defensive tackle in NFL history.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: The Byron Murphy II price just went up for the Seahawks again
