Six players tied with 3 interceptions after Week 5 as Byron Murphy joins the lead

Six defenders share the NFL interception lead after five weeks. Jordan Battle, Renardo Green, Jevon Holland, Hezekiah Masses, Xavier McKinney and Byron Murphy each have three picks, according to league interception statistics compiled through Monday night.

Murphy’s Week 5 night in New Orleans pushed him into that group. The Minnesota cornerback intercepted Saints quarterback Tyler Shough twice in a 23-13 Vikings win and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Vikings writer Lindsey Young notes it was Minnesota’s first multi-interception game by a player since Cam Bynum in 2023.

The six tied at three

Masses owns the return-yardage edge among the co-leaders with 67 yards and a long of 35. Battle is next at 18. Holland has three takeaways with zero return yards. None of the six has scored on an interception return yet.

Murphy’s path to the tie

Murphy’s first pick of 2026 came against Chicago’s Caleb Williams in Week 2. The two against Shough on Sunday — one after the quarterback scrambled and threw on the move in the third quarter, and a deep ball intended for Chris Olave late — gave him three for the season. Through five games he also has 21 tackles, a tackle for loss and five passes defensed, per the team’s Week 5 notes.

He has 14 interceptions since joining Minnesota as a free agent in 2023 and 19 for his career. His single-season high is six, set in 2024. The Vikings are 5-0 and on bye in Week 6, so Murphy’s total will sit for another week while the other co-leaders play.

Week 5 pile-on

Four of the six co-leaders banked two interceptions apiece in Week 5 alone: Murphy, Battle, Green and McKinney. That is why the top of the board is so crowded heading into Week 6. Green is doing it for the unbeaten 49ers; McKinney for a Packers team that has won two straight.

The chase pack at two

Hufanga and Lloyd are the only players on the board with an interception return touchdown. Lloyd’s 69 return yards lead everyone with at least two picks; Hufanga’s 66-yard score is the longest return among that group. Denver and Jacksonville each have two players sitting one pick behind the lead.

What Week 6 can change

Minnesota’s bye freezes Murphy at three. Battle and the Bengals visit Green Bay, where McKinney will try to break the tie on the other side of the ball. Green and the 49ers host Washington on Monday night. Holland’s Giants face New Orleans — Shough again — in the early Sunday window. Masses and the Raiders host Buffalo in the late afternoon.

One more takeaway from any of those five games separates a sole leader from the pack. Until then, the interception race is a six-way dead heat.