Riq Woolen isn't about burning bridges and has said nice things about his past team after joining his new one. The former Seattle Seahawks cornerback certainly could, of course. His previous team didn't aggressively pursue him in free agency, and he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles instead. Tellingly, only for one season.
What if he only plays that one year in Philly and then needs to find another new home? What if that new home isn't new at all? Woolen could find his way back to the Pacific Northwest.
If this sounds ridiculous, let's start with Reuben Frank, who covers the Eagles for NBC Sports Philadelphia, writing recently, "Woolen will begin his first – and probably only – season with the Eagles as a starting outside corner in potentially the top cornerback room in the NFL."
Seattle Seahawks could still have Riq Woolen on their roster in the future
The "probably only" part clearly stands out. Why would Woolen only spend a year in Philly if he is good? The truth is, he might price himself out of the Eagles, who have $25,553,882 in cap space in 2027 (including a void year for Woolen), according to Over the Cap, but have financial decisions to make on other players.
Whether he is good or bad, he might be one-and-done with the Eagles. Meanwhile, the Seahawks not re-signing Woolen is a bit of a gamble. While he was far from consistently elite, the cornerback did have bouts of excellence. At his best, he was one of the better coverage corners in the NFL.
Seattle re-signed Josh Jobe, who found his best form under head coach Mike Macdonald. The team also drafted Julian Neal. Jobe has been a terrific surprise, but he doesn't have the ceiling of Woolen, though his floor is much better. Neal is an unknown and has dealt with a leg injury in training camp.
The Seattle Seahawks know what they had with Riq Woolen, and that mutual understanding between team and player is important. The cornerback might have lost some reps as the 2025 season proceeded, but no one should kid themselves into believing Woolen wasn't still important to Seattle's defensive philosophy.
In the playoffs last season, Woolen played 85.2 percent of defensive snaps in the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams. He played 69 percent against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, but that was more because Macdonald wanted to have the versatility of Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori on the field more.
His career passer rating for Seattle was a very good 70.6. He allowed 15 touchdowns in four seasons, but had 12 interceptions and 38 passes broken up. Again, when he was at his best, he was elite. But as Seahawks fans know, when he was bad, he was atrocious.
The gamble of going with Jobe and, possibly, Neal, as well as Witherspoon and Emmanwori, could pay off fine for Seattle, but there is no guarantee Jobe will play better with a more important role, and Neal is a rookie. Riq Woolen could be welcomed back because of his coverage skills, and that doesn't matter how well or poorly he plays in Philly if he is only there for one year.
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