Mafe signed with the Bengals as an unrestricted free agent in March after spending his first four NFL seasons (2022-25) in Seattle ... A second-round draft pick of the Seahawks in 2022, he has played in 65 career games with 34 starts and recorded 161 tackles (98 solos), 24 TFLs, 20 sacks, 14 PDs, three FFs and two FRs ... Led Seattle with career-high nine sacks in 2023, which were highlighted by Seahawks-record seven consecutive games with a sack ... Saw action in all 17 regular-season games and all three postseason contests for 2025 Seahawks team that won Super Bowl LX ... Finished collegiate career at the University of Minnesota with second-team All-Big Ten Conference honors in 2021 ... Spent a year in middle school studying in Nigeria, where both of his parents are originally from.
Career transactions: Selected by Seattle in second round of NFL Draft (40th overall) on 4-29-22 ... Signed with Seahawks on 7-15-22 ... Seahawks contract expired on 3-11-26; became unrestricted free agent ... Signed with Cincinnati as unrestricted free agent on 3-11-26.
2022—Played in all 17 regular-season games with three starts as a rookie for Seattle ... Totaled 38 tackles (27 solos), with three sacks ... Added three special teams tackles ... Made NFL debut on Sept. 12 vs. Denver (no stats) ... Recorded first career sack on Sept. 18 at San Francisco, bringing down QB Jimmy Garoppolo at line of scrimmage to force fourth down in third quarter ... Notched second sack on Oct. 30 vs. N.Y. Giants, dropping QB Daniel Jones for loss of eight yards to force punt late in second quarter ... Made postseason debut in NFC Wild Card Playoff on Jan. 14 at San Francisco, recording two solo tackles.
2023—Played and started 16 games for Seattle ... Inactive for one game (Game 2) due to knee injury ... Set career highs in tackles (52), sacks (nine) and PDs (six) ... Also had one FF and two FRs ... His nine sacks led the team ... Recorded a sack in seven straight games (Games 3-9), the longest streak in team history ... Tallied first sack of season on Sept. 24 vs. Carolina, taking down QB Andy Dalton for 11-yard loss in first quarter ... Had a sack for loss of nine yards on Oct. 29 vs. Cleveland and logged first fumble recovery, scooping up loose ball in first quarter to set up Seahawks TD drive ... On Nov. 5 at Baltimore, strip-sacked QB Lamar Jackson and recovered his own forced fumble in Seahawks territory ... Had first career multi-sack game on Dec. 24 at Tennessee, bringing down QB Ryan Tannehill for losses of five yards and four yards.
2024—Played in 15 games with 11 starts for Seattle ... Inactive for two games (Games 4-5) due to knee injury ... Recorded 40 tackles (25 solos), eight TFLs, six sacks, three PDs and one FF ... Opened season with sack in each of first three games ... On Oct. 20 at Atlanta, sacked QB Kirk Cousins on third down and forced a fumble that was recovered by Seahawks and returned for TD ... On Dec. 22 vs. Minnesota, sacked QB Sam Darnold for 12-yard loss to force third-and-long in second quarter.
2025—Played in all 17 regular-season games with four starts for Seattle ... Totaled 31 tackles (11 solos), four TFLs, two sacks, five PDs and one FF ... Notched first sack of season on Nov. 9 vs. Arizona, dropping QB Jacoby Brissett for 15-yard loss on third down to force punt late in second quarter ... On Dec. 28 at Carolina, sacked QB Bryce Young for three-yard loss in fourth quarter ... Recorded five tackles in three postseason games ... Had three stops in NFC Divisional Playoff on Jan. 17 vs. San Francisco ... Had one solo tackle and lined up for 24 defensive snaps in Super Bowl LX win over New England on Feb. 8.
College: Spent four seasons (2018-21) at Minnesota ... Redshirted in 2017 ... Played in 42 career games with 14 starts, totaling 87 tackles (59 solos), 19.5 TFLs, 15 sacks, three FFs and three pass breakups ... His 15 sacks ranked ninth in school history ... Earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2021, when he led team in TFLs (10) and sacks (seven) ... Named honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2020 ... Also earned Academic All-Big Ten Team recognition in each of final two seasons.
High school/personal: Hometown is Minnetonka, Minn. ... Attended Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, where he had 10 TFLs and four sacks as a senior in 2016 ... Named second-team all-state, KARE 11 All-Metro and Vikings MFCA All-Star in senior campaign ... Also lettered in basketball and track and field ... Spent a year in middle school studying abroad in Nigeria, where both of his parents, Wale and Bola, are originally from.
