Murphy tallied 121 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions in a reserve role this season.
The seasoned vet had actually missed the 53-man cut after spending training camp with San Francisco, but he was brought back mid-season after Pierre Garcon (neck) was placed on IR. Despite his age (30 years old) and two-year absence from the NFL, the 49ers felt comfortable incorporating Murphy into their regular rotation of receivers over the final seven games of the season. While his usage seemed out of place on a rebuilding franchise, it would be even more surprising if they opted to re-sign Murphy following the emergence of rookie wideouts Trent Taylor and Kendrick Bourne to serve as depth behind Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin.