Seahawks LB nearly traded to Chiefs receives $33 million free agent projection

Matt Sullivan

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Seahawks LB nearly traded to Chiefs receives $33 million free agent projection image

The Seattle Seahawks were active at the NFL trade deadline this season, and while there were rumors flying around about players they might trade away, they kept everyone, trading for New Orleans Saints' Rashid Shaheed instead.

But one of the players that the Seahawks nearly traded away to the Kansas City Chiefs was linebacker Boye Mafe. The pass-rushing linebacker stayed in Seattle and now will hit free agency after the 2025 season.

For Austin Gayle of The Ringer, Mafe's projected contract is not expected to be a cheap one. The Seattle pass rusher is projected to land a deal of around $33 million, which could lead him to depart Seattle after a successful four-year stint.

Boye Mafe projected to land $33 million free agent deal

"A potential comp is Alex Wright, a former third-round pick, who signed a three-year, $33 million extension with the Browns in November," Gayle writes. "Mafe has better overall production than Wright because he's played almost 1,000 more snaps, but they offer similar skill sets and output."

This $33 million Wright contract the Cleveland Browns handed out is one that the Seahawks, or another team, could follow when negotiating with Mafe this offseason.

The standout linebacker is going to hit the open market, and with Seattle also trying to figure out what to do with Riq Woolen, Coby Bryant, and Kenneth Walker in free agency, Mafe might be departing this offseason.

Gayle writes that, "Mafe will probably sign a deal close to Wright's, around $11 million per year." The only question left with Mafe is whether he comes back to Seattle, and how long his new deal ends up being.

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This season, Mafe has five passes defended, one forced fumble, two sacks, and 31 total tackles with four tackles for loss and just four quarterback hits.

His production has taken a dip from his second and third seasons in the NFL, when he had nine and six sacks in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

He has seen significantly less playing time than usual, playing just 50% of the snaps this season, compared to 60% in 2024 and 72% in 2023.

But, the pass rush upside and production when on the field often give Mafe plenty of reason for teams to invest in. He's projected to land a new deal worth around $11 million per year, and very likely fall around the $33 million deal Wright got from the Browns.

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