The Cincinnati Bengals made Boye Mafe one of the centerpieces of their defensive overhaul when they handed him a three-year, $60 million contract in March.
Four months later, the former Seattle Seahawks edge rusher is drawing a favorable prediction before his first training camp in Cincinnati.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton named Mafe among seven edge rushers who could break out during the 2026 season.
Moton pointed to Mafe’s expected role under defensive coordinator Al Golden and wrote that the Bengals should “unleash him in the pass rush.”
The prediction comes with an obvious challenge.
Mafe finished the 2025 regular season with only two sacks, his lowest total since his rookie year.
Cincinnati still paid him $20 million per season and positioned him as the veteran replacement for Trey Hendrickson.
The Bengals are betting that Mafe’s final season in Seattle revealed more than the sack total suggested.
Mafe Pressure Numbers Tell a Different Story
GettySEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JANUARY 25: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams runs with the ball as Boye Mafe #53 of the Seattle Seahawks looks to make a tackle during the second quarter in the NFC Championship game at Lumen Field on January 25, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Mafe recorded 31 tackles, two sacks, five passes defensed and one forced fumble across 17 games last season.
He also helped Seattle win Super Bowl LX before leaving in free agency.
His underlying pass-rush production offered a more encouraging picture, as Pro Football Focus (via Bengals.com) credited Mafe with 44 pressures and 40 hurries in 2025.
Both totals would have led Cincinnati, and he produced those numbers while playing roughly 50% of Seattle’s defensive snaps and receiving limited work on third down.
Mafe posted a 13.2% pressure rate and a 12.2% pass-rush win rate. His pressure rate climbed to 18.5% on quarterback dropbacks that lasted longer than 2.5 seconds.
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald also praised Mafe’s ability to create disruption before the quarterback settles into the play.
Macdonald said Mafe’s “ability to win quickly is pretty special” and noted that early pressure can create opportunities for the rest of the defensive front.
Mafe has generated 146 pressures and 41 run stops over the past three seasons, placing him in the top third among NFL edge defenders in both categories, according to the Bengals.
There is also a previous blueprint for stronger sack output.
Mafe finished with a career-high nine sacks in 2023, setting a Seattle franchise record by recording a sack in seven consecutive games.
Bengals Need $60 Million Bet to Produce Quickly
GettyCINCINNATI, OHIO – NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals reacts after losing to the New England Patriots 26-20 at Paycor Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
The Bengals signed Mafe for a larger role than the one he held in Seattle.
Hendrickson’s departure left Cincinnati without the player who had anchored its pass rush for five seasons.
Myles Murphy led the team with 5.5 sacks in 2025, while fellow first-round pick Shemar Stewart remains an important part of the team’s long-term plans.
Cincinnati also selected Cashius Howell in the second round, giving Golden another flexible edge defender.
Still, Mafe enters camp as the proven veteran carrying the largest contract and the clearest expectation.
Defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery has pushed back against judging Mafe by his sack total alone.
Montgomery told the Bengals’ website that “the film doesn’t lie” and praised Mafe’s ability to rush the passer and set the edge.
The expanded role should create more chances to finish the pressures he produced in Seattle, and Mafe can justify the breakout label without immediately matching Hendrickson.
A return to his 2023 sack production, paired with the pressure numbers he generated last season, would give Cincinnati the dependable edge presence it lacked throughout much of 2025.
The Bengals paid for that possibility in March.
Bleacher Report now believes the payoff could arrive in Mafe’s first season.
Cincinnati Bengals’ $60 Million Defensive End Gets Breakout Prediction