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Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen.
The Seattle Seahawks wanted cornerback Riq Woolen to keep playing for them — the market just had other ideas.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, fresh off winning his 1st Super Bowl, bit back on a question about his team “letting go” of Woolen after he signed a 1-year, $15 million free agent contract with the Eagles on March 10.
“We didn’t let him go,” Macdonald said in response at the annual NFL owners meetings on Monday in Phoenix. “(The Eagles) are getting a great player. We love Riq. He’s a great player. Just can’t afford him.”
Woolen, who was hoping for a long-term, big-money contract, can still achieve that goal with a big year in Philadelphia — and likely only has himself to blame for not already signing that type of deal.
Eagles Received Praise for Signing Riq Woolen
ESPN’s Seth Walder gave the Eagles a rare “A” grade for signing Woolen.
“This deal is great for the Eagles because it fills a key need, but also because of the price,” Walder wrote. “Woolen was widely viewed as being among the best outside corners in the class alongside players such as Jaylen Watson (who is getting a three-year deal at $17 million per year) and Alontae Taylor (three years at $60 million).”
While it’s hard to point to any 1 on-field incident as the reason any player might not get the payday they expected, it happens. With Woolen, we can point to 1 of the dumbest penalties in recent memory and the fact that it happened in 1 of the most critical moments of the season.
Leading the Los Angeles Rams 31-20 with 2:31 left in the 3rd quarter of the NFC Championship Game, the Seahawks got a stop on 3rd & 2 and were ready to get the ball back … until Woolen got called for taunting the Rams sideline after the play.
A few plays later, Woolen gave up a touchdown pass to NFL All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua and, boom, it’s a game again.
While the Seahawks won the game and eventually won the Super Bowl, Woolen has found the moment hard to shake off. His less-than-thoughtful apology didn’t help.
“No cap high intense game and when you in the zone and ballin with your bros sometimes you black out,” Woolen wrote on X following the game.
Eagles Frankenstein-ed NFL’s Best Secondary
We may not fully understand how incredible it’s going to be to watch the Eagles play defense this season. It’s a year that could end up being defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s next — and maybe final — masterpiece before his retirement.
Nowhere will that be more pronounced than at cornerback. The Eagles already return 2 NFL All-Pros in outside cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and slot cornerback Cooper DeJean — both of whom will be eligible for massive contract extensions following the 2026 season.
“Over the past four seasons, among outside corners with at least 500 coverage snaps, do you know who allowed the fewest yards per coverage snap?” Walder wrote. “Woolen, at 0.7, was one spot ahead of new teammate Quinyon Mitchell and two spots ahead of 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II … Good luck, opposing receivers.”
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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