With Trey Hendrickson gone, Boye Mafe injects immediate, high-upside pass-rush talent that could revitalize the Bengals' defense.
The Cincinnati Bengals entered the 2026 offseason facing a familiar reality. Despite fielding one of the NFL’s most productive offenses, the franchise once again fell short of the postseason largely because of persistent defensive issues.
Cincinnati finished the 2025 season with a 6-11 record, placing third in the AFC North and missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year. The team’s offense remained relatively productive, scoring 414 total points (24.4 per game), 12th in the NFL, but the defense struggled throughout the season. The Bengals allowed 492 points (28.9 per game), the third-most in the league, and ranked ranked as the league’s second-worst defense.
As a result, fixing these defensive issues quickly became the front office’s top priority in the offseason.
Bengals’ Defensive Reset After Trey Hendrickson’s Departure
Cincinnati’s pass rush in particular became a major question mark after the franchise opted not to place the franchise tag on veteran edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, allowing him to enter free agency.
Hendrickson had been the centerpiece of the Bengals’ pass rush since signing with the team in 2021. He earned four consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2021 through 2024 and captured the Deacon Jones Award in 2024 after leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks.
However, injuries limited Hendrickson to seven games during the 2025 season, and contract negotiations between the player and the team stalled entering the offseason. Rather than commit a massive long-term extension, the Bengals allowed him to reach the open market.
That decision forced Cincinnati to immediately pursue alternative pass-rush options in free agency.
To address that need, the Bengals made one of their most notable early moves in free agency by signing Boye Mafe to a three-year, $60 million contract, an agreement that carries an average annual salary of $20 million.
Mafe, 27, arrived in Cincinnati after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, who originally selected him 40th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Why the Boye Mafe Deal Makes Sense
Mafe, who is fresh off a Super Bowl title with the Seahawks, developed into a high-upside edge defender during his time in Seattle. Although his 2025 season produced just two sacks, advanced metrics suggest his impact as a pass rusher was far greater than the raw numbers indicate.
According to ESPN’s player-tracking data, Mafe posted a 19% pass rush win rate in 2025, ranking eighth among all edge defenders in the NFL. That metric measures how often a pass rusher defeats his blocker within 2.5 seconds, making it one of the most reliable indicators of pass-rush effectiveness.
To put this in perspective, only seven edge defenders in the entire league recorded a higher win rate last season.
Mafe brings youth and upside to a defensive front that lacked consistent pressure outside of Hendrickson.
Cincinnati’s front office appears to be targeting younger players who may still have untapped potential and Mafe fits that model perfectly.
If he can translate his strong pass rush win rate into higher sack production, the Bengals may have secured one of the more quietly impactful defensive additions of the offseason.