Drafted in the second round in the 1994 NFL Draft, Mawae came to Seattle and was a starter at right guard. This earned him a spot on the 1994 NFL All-Rookie Team. After his first two seasons, Mawae was moved to center where he would play for the remainder of his 16-year NFL career. He played four seasons in total with the Seahawks and then played for the Jets (1998-2005) and the Titans (2006-2009). He would go on to earn three first-team AP All-Pro honors (1999, 2001, 2008) and voted to eight Pro Bowls (1999-2004, 2008-2009). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.