Riq Woolen has lived a number of lives this season. The Seattle Seahawks cornerback appeared to be trending toward getting fewer snaps with Josh Jobe taking his spot in some two cornerback sets with Devon Witherspoon playing the other spot. Many speculated Woolen could be moved at the trade deadline.
He wasn't, of course, and he is still a valued member of the Seattle secondary. He needs to be because Jobe has been dealing with a concussion, so Woolen has moved back to a full-time role. He hasn't simply been good with a bit more reps, either. He has been great.
In Week 10, Seattle's cornerback was targeted eight times by the Arizona Cardinals, who were forced to throw more than they wanted as they fell behind 28-0 in the first half. Woolen allowed just two of those targets to be completed, and for only 13 yards. No completions resulted in a touchdown or even a first down.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen's road to redemption might have started in Week 10
Even better, four times he was matched up with ascending Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., and Woolen didn't allow a completion. This is the same Harrison who had seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown a week earlier against the Dallas Cowboys.
One of the passes toward Harrison was broken up. The others, the second-year receiver simply had no room in order to catch the pass. Woolen was playing like the 2022 version of himself when he led the NFL in interceptions with six and made the Pro Bowl. In the last two years, his play has dropped off, especially in terms of tackling and run support.
Maybe Riq Woolen has recently begun to realize how much money he is giving up by not performing at his best. He is a free agent in the 2026 offseason, and while some have written and spoken about Macdonald being a poor fit in Mike Macdonald's scheme, he isn't, not when the cornerback is playing well.
Every defense needs shutdown cornerbacks. Woolen has proven he has that ability, and he proved it against the Cardinals in Week 10, especially against a receiver as potentially great as Harrison. Now, the question is whether the Seattle Seahawks cornerback can replicate that performance every game the rest of the season.
Teams value consistently great play, not an elite week here followed by a bad week. Woolen can earn himself a new contract that pays him at least $16 million a season beginning in 2026. If he plays well enough to earn that, hopefully, he is still with the Seahawks.