Bengals Sign Boye Mafe to Boost Defense

0:00It's March 9th, here's your NFL news in two minutes. Subscribe to stay locked in all season. The Cincinnati Bengals made a big move on their defensive line by signing edge-rusher boy Mayfei to a three-year contract worth $20 million per year. The 27-year-old, a former second-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2022 draft, agreed to the deal on March 9th. This comes right after the team passed on franchising Trey Hendrickson, showing their shifting years up front. Mayfei's been four seasons in Seattle, piling up 26, 15 quarterback hits, and 120 hurries per pro football focus stats. His 2025 output dipped to just two sacks over 17 games, but he stayed consistent on a stack Seahawks defense that reached the Super Bowl. Bengals fans are buzzing about Mayfei's physical, hard-nosed style, which should help fix their league-worse run defense from last year. They gave up 147 rushing yards per game and managed no more than 36 sacks over the

1:02prior two seasons. His tackling and run-stopping chops make him a solid bridge to bigger things. Now, Mayfei joins Miles Murphy and Shamar Stewart as the core trio anchoring Cincinnati's pass rush. As six feet four inches and 261 pounds, he's got the size and tenacity to pressure quarterbacks, including a pass sack on Joe. The Bengals aren't done yet, with free agency and the draft ahead to build out the line further. If Mayfei bounds, he could become the new face of their defense and spark real improvement. The Daily News Now is made possible with support from our sponsor. It is a pillow that plays your podcast and music without earbuds, built for listening in bed. So L.I. SoleyPillow.com