It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for another member of the Minnesota Vikings to be recognized by the league with another award. This time, however, it wasn’t a member of the league’s best special teams unit.
It is a member of the league’s best defense instead.
The league just announced that Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. was 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 at New Orleans last Sunday, with both coming in the second half. This 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 was also the first Viking player to have two interceptions in one game and least one tackle for a loss since Harrison Smith did it in Week 16 of the 2017 season at 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 that commits ten turnovers this season, tied for second most in the NFL.
This is the fourth week in a row that a member of the Vikings has taken home the weekly award. The Vikings took home Special Teams Player of the Week honors in Weeks 2, 3, and 4 this season, but this is the first Defensive Player of the Week Award for the team this year.
Unfortunately, the Vikings won’t get a chance to run their five-week streak, as they will take Week 6 off to rest for their bye week. Let’s see if they pick up where they left off when they host the Indianapolis Colts at US Bank Stadium in Week 7.
Congratulations to Byron Murphy Jr. for being the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season!