Seahawks Cut $12M ‘Fourth Rusher’ Who Set Franchise Record—3 Practice Squad Castoffs Take His Spot

In 2023, Boye Mafe set a Seattle Seahawks franchise record by recording a sack in seven consecutive games, a run that made him look like a cornerstone of the defense for years to come. Two seasons later, he recorded just 2.0 sacks in the entire 2025 regular season, playing a reduced role on the Super Bowl LX championship roster. That staggering collapse, from nine sacks to two, is now pushing the 2022 second-round pick out of Seattle entirely, with free agency opening March 11.

The Cap Math That Seals His Fate

The Seattle Seahawks enter the 2026 offseason holding approximately $61.8 million in top-51 cap space, but GM John Schneider faces a crowded and expensive free agent class. Spotrac projects Mafe’s market value at $12.24 million per year, money the Seahawks need for pending extensions to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon, both due new contracts before hitting free agency in 2027. With several key players projected to command significant re-signing costs according to Spotrac, Mafe’s salary simply doesn’t fit the equation.

‘Not a Game-Changer on His Own’

Sports Illustrated’s Seahawks analyst was blunt about Mafe’s diminished standing: “It doesn’t make sense to pay him the market price, especially when he’s not a game-changer on his own. He’s the fourth rusher in a four-man rusher group. That makes him a lower priority.” Mafe’s consistent pass-rush presence in 2025 showed he remained productive in limited snaps, but his role was systematically reduced under head coach Mike Macdonald’s scheme. He now exits as a Super Bowl champion whose ring may not save his next contract.

A Defense Built to Share the Load

The Seahawks’ championship defense didn’t need any single pass rusher to dominate. It needed everyone to contribute consistently. Seattle finished first in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing just 17.2 points per game in the regular season, and allowed only 46 points across three postseason games including the Super Bowl. DeMarcus Lawrence, signed to a three-year deal worth up to $42 million in March 2025, led the defense with six sacks, earned a Pro Bowl selection, and finished with 53 combined tackles in his first Seattle season.

Lawrence: The Veteran Who Fit the Vision

Lawrence, 33, was a calculated gamble, a player Cowboys fans had written off who found new purpose in Seattle’s scheme. Teammates credited Lawrence with transforming Seattle’s defensive identity, with the veteran quickly earning respect as the pass rusher the Seahawks had been missing. Lawrence’s versatility, stopping the run, rushing the passer, and forcing turnovers, embodied exactly the multi-dimensional profile Macdonald prizes over pure sack production.

The Beer Deliveryman on the Super Bowl Roster

While Mafe’s role shrank, an unlikely cast of undrafted free agents filled the gap. Jamie Sheriff was delivering beer for a beverage company in Ridgeland, Mississippi, when the Seahawks signed him as an undrafted rookie in August 2024. He recorded three sacks and multiple QB pressures in three preseason appearances before being waived, claimed by the Carolina Panthers, and then returning to Seattle’s practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Seahawks on February 12, 2026, and is now a legitimate candidate for their 2026 edge rotation.

Two More UDFAs Who Rose Through the System

Jared Ivey, a 6-foot-6, 274-pound edge rusher who recorded 16 sacks over three seasons at Ole Miss, was signed as a UDFA on May 2, 2025. He appeared in two games during the 2025 regular season and brings a rare physical frame that gives Seattle’s defensive front a distinct look. Connor O’Toole, who converted from wide receiver to edge rusher at the University of Utah, played 28 defensive snaps and 97 special teams snaps across eight games, recording a fumble recovery on a kickoff return. All three UDFAs collectively cost a fraction of Mafe’s $12.24 million projected salary.

Macdonald’s System: The Real Difference-Maker

Head coach Mike Macdonald emphasized during Super Bowl week that Seattle’s first-down execution created the platform for their pass-rush plan and selective blitzing to thrive. The results validated the approach, with Seattle ranking among the NFL’s top teams in pressure rate while remaining one of the league’s least blitz-reliant defenses, generating elite heat with minimal blitzing. Derick Hall, a second-round pick from the 2023 draft class, one year after Mafe, ranked sixth in the NFL in pass-rush win rate at 27.6%, recording eight sacks in 2024 and two more in Super Bowl LX.

Hall’s Ascent Makes Mafe’s Decline Even Sharper

Hall and Mafe entered Seattle’s roster in back-to-back draft classes under similar circumstances, but their trajectories have completely inverted. Mafe peaked in 2023 with nine sacks and franchise-record performances; Hall had zero sacks as a 2023 rookie but exploded for eight sacks in 2024 and continued to thrive in 2025. The contrast reveals the core truth of Macdonald’s system: athletic profile and scheme fit determine who thrives, not draft round or early production.

What Comes Next for Mafe and Seattle

With free agency opening March 11, Mafe enters the market as a player whose 2025 resume, two sacks in 17 games, may depress his asking price well below his projected $12.24 million value. The Baltimore Ravens have already been identified as a potential landing spot, with analysts noting his pass-rush productivity and durability as underrated assets. In Seattle, Schneider and Macdonald have quietly established a new organizational philosophy: on a championship roster with limited cap space, system fit and cost efficiency outrank the pedigree of any draft pick.

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Sources:
“Boye Mafe Making Impressive Second-Year Jump with Sack in Seventh Straight Game.” ESPN, November 2023.
“Former Cowboys Pass Rusher DeMarcus Lawrence Signing Three-Year Contract with Seahawks.” NFL.com, March 12, 2025.
“DeMarcus Lawrence Agrees to Free Agent Deal with Seahawks.” ESPN, March 11, 2025.
“How Much Could the Seahawks’ Free Agents Cost? Here’s How the Math Works Out.” The Athletic, February 24, 2026.
“Seahawks Have Top Priority at NFL Combine.” Sports Illustrated, February 25, 2026.
“Seattle Seahawks 2025 Defense Is ‘Stamped In History.'” Seattle Seahawks Official, February 21, 2026.