> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Seahawks Take Another Hit in Secondary as Riq Woolen Signs With Eagles
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/seattle-seahawks-secondary-another-hit-riq-woolen-signs-philadelphia-eagles/
- Published: 2026-03-10T23:06:56.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T06:15:43.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: News, Analysis, Seahawks, Riq Woolen

\[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2956"\]

![  Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) is tackled by Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/usatsi_27767671-format-original-1.jpg)

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) is tackled by Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images \[/caption\]

Closing in on the end of the second and final day of legal tampering in the NFL, Riq Woolen officially won’t be returning to the Seattle Seahawks, instead taking his talents to another recent Super Bowl champion in the NFC.

Ending a frustrating couple of days for Woolen and his representatives, who likely expected more interest from teams in regard to multi-year offers, the former Pro Bowl cornerback has agreed to a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles worth up to $15 million. Other terms of the contract have yet to be disclosed.

An instant success story as a fifth round pick out of UTSA in 2022 after turning in a historic combine workout with sub-4.3 speed at 6-4, Woolen surprised by earning a starting job out of training camp as a rookie for Seattle, finishing with a league-best six interceptions and finishing as a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He looked to be on the fast track towards becoming one of the NFL’s elite shutdown corners.

However, while Woolen remained a solid starter over the next three seasons for the Seahawks, he never quite recaptured his production from his rookie campaign and endured erratic play at times, leading to brief stints on the bench from two different coaching staffs. He struggled with penalties throughout his tenure in Seattle, drawing 35 penalties during that time, battled consistency issues as a tackler with an 18% missed tackle rate, and also allowed 12 touchdowns over the previous two seasons in coverage in both regular season and playoff games.

On the flip side, Woolen allowed a mere 57.4% completion rate when targeted, only allowing above a 60% rate once in four seasons. Even as his interception numbers regressed, he remained a consistent producer getting his hands into passing lanes and making plays on the football, finishing with double-digit pass breakups three times for the Seahawks. He was especially dominant in man, yielding a league-best 31% completion rate last season according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

But with All-Pro cornerback Devon Witherspoon expected to land a potentially market-setting extension in the near future, Seattle wasn’t in position to pay to keep both Woolen and Josh Jobe. With the latter agreeing to sign at roughly half of the cost per year on a three-year deal and having better numbers across the board last season, the Seahawks decided to move forward with Jobe, who has become a favorite of Mike Macdonald for his mentality, work ethic, physicality, and technical approach to the game after rising from a waiver wire pickup to a viable long-term NFL starter on the boundary.

In the end, even with him possessing rare size, speed, and ball skills and having four productive seasons in the Pacific Northwest, the Seahawks felt they could trust Jobe more than Woolen, whose spontaneous discipline breakdowns between the lines such as a costly taunting penalty against the Rams in the NFC Championship Game became a point of angst for Macdonald and the staff.

For Woolen, the opportunity to change scenery could be an ideal situation, especially joining a talented Philadelphia secondary that already features a budding All-Pro in Quinyon Mitchell and standout slot cornerback in Cooper Dejean. He won’t have the pressure on him to be a No. 1 shutdown cornerback and with Mitchell across from him, quarterbacks may have to test him more often, creating more chances for interceptions and opening the door for the type of season that could lead to a huge payday next March.

If that ends up happening, some may consider Seattle’s decision to let him walk as a regrettable one given his immense physical tools and raw talent. As the roster currently stands, Nehemiah Pritchett would be next in line to succeed him, and the former fifth round pick out of Auburn has yet to prove himself as a starter-caliber player in limited defensive action. The rest of the cornerback group is quite green in regard to regular season playing experience.

But Schneider and Macdonald have strong track records of drafting and developing defensive backs in their respective roles and with the incoming draft class loaded with quality cornerbacks, it’s understandable why the Seahawks chose to take the risk, believing they will be able to acquire a capable replacement next month that will be on a far more affordable rookie contract with plenty of upside.