Boye Mafe's Message for Bengals Edge Rusher Before OTAs

The Cincinnati Bengals spent the offseason rebuilding a defense that struggled throughout 2025. The unit finished 29th in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing 26.5 points per game, and lacked consistency at every level. Cincinnati responded aggressively, adding Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe, Cashius Howell and Bryan Cook to a group that already included B.J. Hill, Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart.

Among the players who will be looking to make amends next season is Stewart, who never found much momentum as a rookie. A contract holdout kept the former Texas A&M edge rusher away from the team's offseason program and training camp, leaving him behind before the season even began. He appeared in eight games, recording 11 tackles, one sack and one pass defended before a knee injury cut his season short.

Ahead of Monday’s voluntary OTAs, Stewart admitted the mental side of the game was one of his biggest challenges as a rookie.

"Last year I would go out there, and I'm saying, 'I somewhat know what I need to do, but I'm not 100 percent sure,'" Stewart said. "And then I go out there and I overthink."

Now entering his second season, Stewart has an opportunity to rewrite his own narrative and earn the trust of Bengals fans again and one teammate believes a significant jump could be coming.

Mafe recently addressed reporters and praised Stewart for his desire  to improve. The reigning Super Bowl champion also pointed to his own career path when discussing Stewart's outlook for 2026.

"I went from three sacks my rookie year to nine my second year," Mafe said. "It can happen for anybody. I see that desire in him. He wants to improve his game. The sky's the limit for him."

After a shaky rookie season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022, Mafe broke out the following season while emerging as one of the Seahawks' most productive pass rushers. He got even better in 2024 and played a huge role in Seattle’s championship run last season, prompting the Bengals to pursue him this offseason.

Stewart was drafted 17th overall in 2025 by the Bengals. Despite lingering concerns about his production after he finished his college career with 4.5 sacks across three seasons at Texas A&M, Duke Tobin and the front office saw raw potential that could develop into something special down the stretch.

Now, the Bengals are betting that production will come with experience and a stronger supporting cast around him. Mafe's arrival gives Stewart another veteran resource as he continues his development.

The Bengals really don't need Stewart to become a Trey Hendrickson caliber player in 2026, but he needs to take a meaningful step forward in Year 2. Mafe believes that is possible, and Cincinnati's defensive overhaul gives Stewart the best environment of his young career to prove it.