The Seattle Seahawks have lost four key players in free agency who helped the team make a Super Bowl run this past season. One of those is cornerback Riq Woolen, and Woolen might have a chance to earn a little revenge on his former team next season.
Woolen signed with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason, but only on a one-year deal. The length of the contract was interesting because the player has shown the ability to be a shutdown cornerback in the NFL. His main problem has been inconsistency and a mercurial attitude.
If he harbors any ill will against Seattle, one hopes he will remember that it was the Seahawks who took a chance on him in the 2022 NFL draft when no other team had. Woolen was a fifth-round draft pick, passed over by every team until Seattle finally chose him.
Riq Woolen could have his revenge on the Seattle Seahawks in the 2026 season
To be fair, he was immediately good. As a rookie, he tied for the league lead in interceptions with six. Many of those came in the first half of the season, and the second half was more of an indication of how good a player he would be. His coverage numbers were solid, but he wasn't good against the run overall, though he played with the kind of physicality that might have made him good in that facet.
His issue in 2026 could be that if he has the same kind of inconsistency he had with Seattle (he would be brilliant for a half and then terrible for a game-changing series or two, just as he was in Seattle's Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers this past year), Eagles fans won't be as forgiving as 12s.
Philadelphia sports fans are known for their ruthlessness. If a player keeps messing up, they will let him or her know about their frustrations. Does Woolen have the mentality to deal with that kind of pressure?
Of course, he might go to the Eagles, show how transformative he can be on the outside of a defense, and find his long-term new home. He will get his opportunity in the 2026 season against the Seattle Seahawks to show his new team and his old team just how good he can be.
As for Riq Woolen's replacement in Seattle, that isn't known yet. He saw fewer snaps in 2025 behind Josh Jobe, but Woolen still played over 90 percent of defensive reps. His long-term replacement might come in the 2026 NFL draft.