Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi made numerous sizable decisions this offseason following his appointment. One of his first major changes saw him trade veteran linebacker Kenneth Murray to the Dallas Cowboys in a late-round pick swap that allowed the Titans move up from the seventh round to the sixth. Murray made his Cowboys debut in Thursday's 2025 regular-season opener with the Philadelphia Eagles.
It was former GM Ran Carthon who signed Murray to a two-year contract worth $15.5 million the previous offseason. Murray struggled mightily in his first and only season in Nashville as a routine liability versus the pass and run. Borgonzi opted to start fresh at linebacker, signing Cody Barton in free agency to replace the former Oklahoma defender.
Unsurprisingly, Murray played poorly for the Cowboys in Thursday's 24-20 defeat to the Eagles. Defending athletic ball-carriers was never his strongest trait, and Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts combined for 122 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys found out what the Titans already knew about Murray.
It took one game for Cowboys to regret their trade for former Titans LB Kenneth Murray
Kenneth Murray was pretty obviously the worst defender on the field last night for the Cowboys.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) September 5, 2025
This is just who he has been for most of his NFL career.
Murray played all 62 defensive snaps for the Cowboys. Jack Sanborn and Damone Clark were the other linebackers in the lineup. Murray wore the green dot and called the defense, strongly indicating he'll be a starter all season long, even when DeMarvion Overshown returns from injury.
The Titans saved nearly $8 million in cap space by trading Murray to the Cowboys. Even more importantly, they improved at linebacker by replacing Murray. Barton has been praised for his ability to quickly establish himself as a leader in the locker room, and he was recently named a team captain on defense.
Borgonzi drafted running back Kalel Mullings with the pick he received in exchange for Murray. Mullings made the 53-man roster and should be a core special teamer in 2025. Meanwhile Murray is already making Cowboys fans regret the day their franchise traded for him.