Tennessee Titans, Kenneth Murray agree to two-year, $18 million deal
Former standout Oklahoma defender and Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Kenneth Murray will don new colors in 2024 after signing a two-year deal, $18 million contract with the Tennessee Titans.
Murray, 25, has started 53 games for the Chargers in his first four NFL seasons. In that time, he’s amassed 321 tackles, five sacks, two interceptions, 10 passes defended and a forced fumble.
Murray, a former first-round pick (No. 23) in the 2020 NFL Draft, will be expected to step right into a vital role with the Titans after they lost Azeez Al-Shaair, their leading tackler in 2023, to free agency on Monday.
High expectations and a major role should not be an issue for the fifth-year veteran, who is coming off a career-best 107 tackles in 15 games in 2023.
After parting ways with All-Pro running back Derrick Henry, among Al-Shaair and other stars, the Titans entered the 2024 free agency period with $80 million in available cap space, the second-most in the NFL.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that they were incredibly active on Monday, adding Murray and signing running back Tony Pollard, center Lloyd Cushenberry, and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie.
Murray should have a great chance to thrive in a new system under defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, who has the Titans' defense playing at a much higher level than the units Murray has been a part of in recent years.
In 2019, after his stellar junior season, Murray was named a second-team AFCA All-American, third-team AP All-American, and first-team All-Big 12. He was also a semifinalist for the Butkus and Bednarik Award after recording 102 tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, four pass breakups, and five quarterback hurries.
Murray started all 42 games over the course of his three-year career in Norman, finishing with 335 tackles and 37.0 tackles for loss. He is tied for 11th in OU history in career tackles and ranks eighth all-time in career sacks by a linebacker (9.5).
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