NFL free agency is upon us, and as always, there have already been plenty of massive deals handed out to players who are highly unlikely to live up to them. The Pittsburgh Steelers have avoided the temptation to do so up to this point, with a modest deal for veteran corner Jamel Dean and a trade for Colts receiver Michael Pittman there only big moves so far.
The same cannot be said for their divsion rival Cincinnati Bengals, however.
After agreeing to a reasonable deal for former Chiefs safety Bryan Cook, the Bengals opened up the checkbooks for Seahawks pass rusher Boye Mafe. The three-year, $60 million deal is a steep price for any average pass rusher, but it's even worse for the Bengals, considering their reluctance to pay star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson when they could have.
Bengals look like fools after swapping Trey Hendrickson for Boye Mafe, leaving Pittsburgh Steelers fans grinning
Hendrickson was always a thorn in the Steelers' side while suiting up for Cincinnati, so seeing him finally move on is a win in and of itself for Steelers fans. Seeing them also overpay for his replacement only adds to the excitement.
Don't get me wrong: Mafe is a good player who will help the Bengals' defense. Paying him $20 million per year, however, is likely to look like a mistake before the contract is up. Outside of a strong 2023 season, Mafe has been much closer to a solid #2 pass rusher than anything close to a #1. He had just two sacks a season ago, down from six the year before and nine during his career year in 2023.
His pressure numbers were still good, but he has steadily declined in terms of pass rush production in each of the last two seasons. He is just 27 years old, so it's not impossible that he could turn into a high-end #2 pass rusher again, but that will be difficult to do if he is forced into being their best edge player. Unless 2025 first-round pick Shemar Stewart breaks out in 2026, or they use their 10th overall pick this year on another edge, Mafe will be miscast as the top guy for the Bengals.
Steelers fans should be excited about the Bengals continuing to mismanage their defense, as it has kept their high-flying offense from carrying them to wins in recent years. That doesn't seem likely to change based on their moves so far in free agency.