The Seattle Seahawks were the last team standing in the 2025 season, dominantly winning the Super Bowl. Typically, when a team is as good as Seattle was, it loses quite a few pieces in the offseason. The Seahawks have already experienced that, saying goodbye to offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and soon, the team will see several key players enter free agency.
One of those players is edge defender Boye Mafe. While Seattle will attempt to re-sign most of its guys, Mafe is a player the team is expected to let walk. The veteran defender won’t have trouble finding his next opportunity, though, and it might even be the last team he shared the field with.
In a recent ESPN piece, NFL reporter Dan Graziano predicted that Mafe would sign with the New England Patriots.
ESPN predicts Seattle Seahawks defender Boye Mafe will sign with the Patriots in free agency
Graziano explained that Seattle has a lot of responsibilities this offseason, and that the franchise has also proven it can draft, while head coach Mike Macdonald is a defensive mastermind. Those factors result in the franchise letting Mafe walk, and then being predicted to sign a three-year deal worth $48 million with New England.
“Seattle is trying to keep as many of its free agents as it can, but the Super Bowl champs are likely going to lose some of them. With the Seahawks’ ability to draft and coach Mike Macdonald’s proven ability to scheme up pressure, I figure Mafe gets a payday somewhere else and the Seahawks trust in their ability to replace him.”
Dan Graziano (ESPN)
Mafe was drafted by Seattle in 2022, selected in the second round with the 40th-overall pick, and he developed into a productive player during his four seasons with the franchise. He played in all 17 games as a rookie, but only started three. By year two, he was a full-time starter, and that remained the case until this past season, when Mafe only started four games, despite playing all 17.
In his career with Seattle, he recorded 20 sacks, 164 tackles, 24 tackles for a loss, and 36 quarterback hits. Of his 20 sacks, only two came in 2025, and that was partly because Mafe only played 50% of the defense’s snaps — the lowest mark since his rookie season.
It was evident the Seahawks were preparing for his exit, and that exit will soon come. The question, though, is whether Mafe will end up with the team that he and Seattle just defeated in the Super Bowl.