Grading the Cincinnati Bengals' Contract Agreement with Defensive End Boye Mafe

CINCINNATI – A little less than a year after making it clear they valued traits over production with the first-round selection of edge rusher Shemar Stewart, the Cincinnati Bengals followed a similar path to agreeing to terms with former Seattle Seahawks defense end Boye Mafe., per Mafe's agent Mike McCartney.

The Super Bowl champion Mafe is coming off a season in which he only recorded two sacks on 340 pass-rush snaps.

It’s a stat that echoes at high decibels the drafting of Stewart, who had only 1.5 sacks during his final season at Texas A&M.

But Mafe had 18 sacks in his first three seasons with the Seahawks before falling into more of a supportive role in 2025 on an elite defense that helped carry Seattle to a title.

Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin touched on players such as Mafe during his meeting with local reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine last month.

“There are guys that have been covered up maybe with better players,” Tobin said. “Maybe that's the strength of the team that they're on, but it doesn't make them less of a player. It just gives them less of an opportunity to show that they're a player. So that can be an opportunity too, to find a guy that maybe other people are overlooking.”

Mafe wasn’t overlooked. He was projected to land a deal worth about $19 million per year, and the Bengals gave him a reported three years for $60 million.

With defensive coordinator Al Golden looking for pass rush after the team let Trey Hendrickson walk in free agency, Mafe could be in position to have a big bounce back in terms of his sack numbers.

His pressure numbers, however, already were impressive.

Mafe, who will turn 28 in November, ranked eighth in ESPN’s pass rush win metric last year.

Bengals sign Boye Mafe, who was EDGE8 in pass rush win rate per ESPN's on-field tracking data.

Also signed a real FS in Bryan Cook, who flies downhill and can actually tackle. Big upgrades! pic.twitter.com/ZFrS2jsoyf
— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) March 9, 2026

He has recorded a pressure rate of at least 12.4 percent in each of the previous three seasons.

The 12.4 was last year, while his rate was 14.4 in 2024 and 13.8 in 2023.

Here are the Bengals players who have had at least 150 pass rush snaps and a pressure percentage of at least 12.4 in the last five seasons.

Trey Hendrickson, 2021 (16.6)

Trey Hendrickson, 2022 (17.3)

Trey Hendrickson, 2023 (17.8)

Trey Hendrickson, 2024 (17.1)

Trey Hendrickson, 2025 (13.4)

And among NFL players with at least 250 pass rush snaps in each of the last three seasons, Mafe is one of only 18 to record at least a 12.4 pressure rate all three seasons.

New Bengals DE Boye Mafe Has Rare Consistency in Pass Rush Numbers

The rest of the names on the list are impressive:

Will Anderson, Jr.

Nik Bonitto

Jonathan Cooper

Myles Garrett

Jonathan Greenard

Alex Highsmith

Josh Hines-Allen

Danielle Hunter

Chris Jones

George Karlaftis

Khalil Mack

Odafe Oweh

Micah Parsons

Greg Rousseau

Montez Sweat

Quinnen Williams

Chase Young

Only Mafe, Oweh and Mack were available free agents this year, and Oweh wasn’t in the Bengals’ price range, agreeing to a four-year, $100 million deal with the Washinton Commanders.

When you combine the addition to safety Bryan Cook – a move that received an A grade – to the agreement with Mafe, it makes for an impressive opening day of free agency for the Bengals.

Grade: A-