Seahawks’ Byron Murphy set to return, motivated vs. Falcons

RENTON, Wash. — Seattle Seahawks rookie defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, who’s set to return Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, said he’s 100% healthy after sitting out the past three games because of a hamstring injury.

“No hesitation,” Seattle’s first-round pick said Thursday. “I’m confident, feeling great.”

That confidence was evident when Murphy was asked about pre-draft buzz linking him to the Falcons. Atlanta instead took quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick, clearing the way for Seattle to draft Murphy at No. 16.

“I did hear that Atlanta was supposed to draft me,” Murphy said. “I heard rumors about that. But they passed up one, so that’s their fault. That’s a big loss for them. They will feel me Sunday.”

Murphy said he had never sat out a game at any level before he went down midway through the second quarter of Seattle’s win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 3. He said he felt he was “playing great” to that point, even though his production wasn’t overwhelming — six tackles, one tackle for loss and half a sack in 88 defensive snaps.

Those numbers came with the caveat that he’d faced double-teams on 79.5% of his pass-rush snaps. Per TruMedia, that was the highest rate of any interior defensive lineman in that span. On the play on which he injured his hamstring, Murphy was taking on a double-team in the run game.

“I was getting double-teamed in college, so getting double-teamed here, it ain’t nothing new to me,” said Murphy, who played at Texas. “But if I’m getting double-teamed, I feel like I’m doing my job, so it ain’t all about the stats. … If I’m getting double-teamed, everybody else is eating. That’s all that matters to me.”

The Seahawks have missed Murphy most in run defense. Over the three games he has been out — all losses — the defense has given up the fifth-most rushing yards and the fourth-highest yards-per-carry average.

“That’s what I do — I’m a force in the run game,” Murphy said. “Also the pass, too. But me being there in the run game, I’m going to help out a lot.”