Seahawks’ Byron Murphy was alleged victim of extortion attempt

Feb 28, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy (DL18) speaks at a press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle Seahawks rookie defensive tackle Byron Murphy was the victim of an extortion attempt by an Instagram model, according to his agent.

Murphy became the subject of social media speculation on Friday when purported messages between him and an OnlyFans model surfaced on X. The model claimed that Murphy owed her $15,000 and had blocked her on social media after recently becoming engaged. The model’s original post has since been deleted.

Byron Murphy gets exposed by OF model #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/TmQY1Xrxo0

— tay (@HJump97513) July 23, 2024

In a statement, Murphy’s agent, Ron Slavin, said Murphy was the victim of an extortion attempt in the form of “a text conversation that began and ended online.” Slavin added that other young NFL players were targeted with the same scheme, and that both the NFL and FBI had been informed.

Statement on behalf of my client Byron Murphy pic.twitter.com/Dr3tJPO463

— Ron Slavin (@SlavinRon) July 26, 2024

The Seahawks made Murphy a first-round pick in April’s draft. He had previously been a star defensive lineman at Texas, and received first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2023. Provided his version of events is accurate, it appears unlikely he will face any further problems from this as he prepares to begin his NFL career.