NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport certainly set off a firestorm of speculation when he tweeted recently that teams might be asking the Seattle Seahawks if cornerback Riq Woolen is available in a trade. The issues with Rapoport's post were several, though.
In the tweet, the reporter said that "Woolen’s playing time has diminished" and it simply hasn't. In fact the cornerback is playing more in 2025 than he has in another season since his rookie year in 2022. This might be due to injuries among the Seattle secondary, but the fact remains.
Even in Week 4 against the Arizona Cardinals after cornerback Devon Witherspoon returned from a two-game absence, Woolen still played 92.5 percent of snaps. He isn't playing less, and Ian Rapoport is wrong when he says he is.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen could find himself with the Dallas Cowboys
That doesn't mean that Seahawks general manager John Schneider wouldn't listen to solid offers for Riq Woolen. Seattle is never going to turn a deaf ear to inquiries, though it might not mean the Seahawks are actually going to make a deal.
With Woolen, Schneider might. The issue is that it would be a matter of Seattle selling low. The cornerback is having his worst season in coverage, and that was by far the strongest aspect of his game. So far this season, Woolen has allowed 11 of his 18 targets to be completed, and has a quarterback rating allowed of a bad 106.7.
Still, he has been mostly good in coverage, and teams are going to give trade value or lots of dollars next offseason when Woolen hits free agency for a cornerback capable of shutting down No. 1 wide receivers. One team that could be very interesting in acquiring Woolen is the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas has been putrid defensively in 2025. Partly, this is due to owner/general manager Jerry Jones foolishly trading edge rusher Micah Parsons, but injuries and ineffectiveness have crippled the Cowboys' cornerback group. Woolen would likely improve the group.
The Seattle Seahawks cornerback is also from Fort Worth, Texas, so he could be extra motivated to go back home and play well for the Dallas Cowboys. He could even play well enough to earn a big contract with the team in 2026.
Or Woolen could wilt under the bright lights in Dallas, and have a difficult time finding a team that might pay him much next year. He suffers in run support, and has had a mercurial attitude at times. His coverage skills are elite, but inconsistent. If Dallas offers a fourth-round pick (or a conditional third-round choice), the Seahawks might jump at it.