Riq Woolen descended from a blossoming franchise cornerstone to a polarizing figure during his stint with the Seattle Seahawks. The veteran cornerback was a wild card, to say the least, yet replacing him remains a challenge — one that presents Noah Igbinoghene with an opportunity.
The Seahawks haven't brought in a direct replacement for Woolen, who joined the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. Third-round rookie Julian Neal could be the eventual answer, but he's a bit of a developmental prospect. Free-agent addition Shemar Jean-Charles is a career special teamer.
Enter Igbinoghene, who could assume a meaningful role for the reigning Super Bowl champions by default after signing a one-year, $1.8 million contract in March. A sheer lack of bodies may very well spring the 2020 first-round pick into action. Whether he can capitalize on the prime chance is up for debate, though, as the Washington Commanders just learned the hard way.
Can Noah Igbinoghene seize the opportunity with the Seattle Seahawks?
Igbinoghene found himself in a similar situation with the Commanders. The Auburn product got a good amount of playing time in his inaugural campaign with the club, logging 10 starts, and had some moments. It wasn't enough for him to hang on to the job in Year 2, which is a potential cause for concern for Seattle.
Washington quite literally treated Igbinoghene as a last resort in 2025; they didn't turn to him until it was absolutely necessary. His connection to the squad's head coach, Dan Quinn, from their overlapping stints with the Dallas Cowboys was a lifeline.
The reunion ultimately proved futile, like Dean Jones of Riggo's Rag, FanSided's source for all things Commanders, highlighted when asked about the Seahawks' newcomer:
"Noah Igbinoghene has never lived up to his first-round billing, and that didn't change in Washington," Jones stated. "Dan Quinn brought him over from the Dallas Cowboys, but aside from a few promising flashes in the nickel, his two seasons with the Commanders were underwhelming.
"The Commanders only played Igbinoghene last season when injuries struck, and there was no chance he would get another deal. While he's got the size, length and athleticism needed to be impactful, expecting miracles after flattering to deceive for six seasons would be foolish."
There's a large enough sample size to know that betting on Igbinoghene is a losing proposition. His strong draft pedigree and remarkable physical traits have given him a longer leash than most. That shouldn't be the case in Seattle, where the goal is to defend their dominant title run.
Ball skills, or lack thereof, were a massive question surrounding Igbinoghene coming out of college that has reared its ugly head in the NFL. He's recorded one interception since entering the league, and it came back in 2022. His inability to generate turnovers and inconsistencies in coverage have made keeping him on the field difficult to justify.
This past season, Igbinoghene recorded 35 tackles (one for loss), five pass deflections, two quarterback hits, and a sack in 15 games. His efforts yielded an underwhelming 55.6 overall Pro Football Focus (subscription required) grade, good for 83rd out of 114 qualified CBs.
Fortunately, Seattle has the roster versatility not to put all their eggs in Igbinoghene's basket. All-Pro corner Devon Witherspoon can continue spending more time outside, as he's been gradually doing, alongside Josh Jobe. Hybrid defensive back Nick Emmanwori and 2026 second-round selection Bud Clark can share slot duties, leaving Ty Okada and Julian Love to man the safety spots.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald doesn't run a "normal" defense. He's constantly moving players around and adjusting his scheme to keep opponents on their heels. His tactics leave the door open for unsung heroes to emerge, as we've seen firsthand, but that might not even matter for Igbinoghene.
Jobe is Seattle's top boundary option, with Witherspoon, Emmanwori and Love functioning as full-time chess pieces. Their grip on the secondary, plus the presence of Okada, Neal and Clark, has Igbinoghene facing an uphill battle.
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