The Cincinnati Bengals needed Boye Mafe to help replace Trey Hendrickson's production.
Two games into the season, their prized free-agent addition is winning his matchups at one of the NFL's highest rates.
ESPN NFL analyst Seth Walder shared pass-rush win totals compiled with data from Pro Football Focus and SumerSports. Mafe ranks third in the NFL with 13 wins through Week 2, trailing only Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons with 19 and Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner with 15.
Mafe sits ahead of established rushers Chase Young, Bradley Chubb, George Karlaftis and Aidan Hutchinson on the early leaderboard.
Top 10 players by pass rush wins this season. -Jeffery Simmons, dear god -Dallas Turner has arrived -Boye Mafe being
what Bengals need, keeping up PRWR with expanded playing time! -I thought Bradley Chubb was washed and was critical of that signing. Looking like a bad take! pic.twitter.com/jnCnlYJTlm
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) September 22, 2026
The 27-year-old made his presence felt throughout Cincinnati's 20-6 win over the Houston Texans. Mafe had seven pressures, tying his career high, as the Bengals generated 27 pressures without leaning on the blitz.
Cincinnati signed Mafe to a three-year contract in March after he spent his first four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. He recorded 20 sacks, 24 tackles for loss and 34 starts during that span.
That background made him a logical candidate for an expanded role in Cincinnati's new-look defensive front.
The Bengals' pressure plan is producing immediate returns. And Mafe's 13 wins show his impact runs deeper than his one sack through two games.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals' Boye Mafe already among NFL leaders in key pass-rush stat
