ESPN insider on why Seattle Seahawks didn't make more deals at NFL trade deadline

Boye Mafe and Riq Woolen were both getting dangled as trade bait, but in the end Seattle decided to keep both of them.

Nov 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42) celebrates with his teammates after a receiving a fumble during the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Going into the 2025 NFL trade deadline, the Seattle Seahawks were rumored to be the most aggressive team. In addition to looking for more talent to boost their roster, reports state that both Riq Woolen and Boye Mafe were being offered up as trade-bait.

However, in the end Seattle only made one move - trading fourth and fith-round picks to the New Orleans Saints for Rashid Shaheed.

Electing to keep Woolen and Mafe when they hadn't been playing well and are going to be unrestricted free agents in a few months may seem confusing, but the Seahawks had their reasons.

According to Brady Henderson at ESPN, the front office had more moves in mind, but ultimately decided against them because they like the camaraderie that the current roster has going for them and believes they can do something special this year.

ESPN’s @BradyHenderson describes to @BobStelton how the 2025 #Seahawks are a “tight team” — and how that shaped what they did, and didn’t do, at the trade deadline. 👇

(full video 📺: https://t.co/AceNJQqanA) pic.twitter.com/HVrwuMz8Yo

— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) November 22, 2025

Only time will tell if it was the right call, but so far the gamble seems to be working out for them. While Woolen struggled badly in the first half of the season he has improved dramatically lately, and has been performing the best he has since his rookie year.

Mafe has also come to life in recent games after being relatively quiet most of the season. He recorded his first sack of the year against the Cardinals in Week 11 and got some quality pressures on Matt Stafford last week.

In an ideal world, the Seahawks would probably like to keep both, but it's going to be difficult to keep that entire stellar 2022 draft class together.

Right tackle Abe Lucas is locked up, but there's still Mafe and Woolen, plus star running back Ken Walker, criminally underrated safety Coby Bryant, and franchise left tackle Charles Cross, who will probably be more expensive than the rest of them.

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