The Hidden Risk the Seahawks Signing Noah Igbinoghene Creates

The Seattle Seahawks are filling in a hole in their secondary by signing former first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene to a one-year deal.

Igbinoghene comes to the Seahawks after spending the last two years with the Washington Commanders, where he helped them reach the NFC Championship. While Igbinoghene and the Commanders struggled this past season, he is still someone that can produce for a high-level defense.

However, Igbinoghene is not a perfect product, and he is someone that could struggle to defend without picking up a flag.

"I used to say on Locked On Commanders all the time that Igbinoghene is good for one flag per game; it’s just a matter of whether it's a killer penalty. It’s part of his makeup and something you have to kind of accept if he’s going to play on your defense," Locked On Commanders host David Harrison said.

"He’s going to break up some passes, get in position to make some tackles, and even go after some interceptions, but he’s also going to get flagged, so just be ready for it. You get the aggression you like, understanding that it will come at a cost from time to time."

Igbinoghene Has Tendency to Pick Up Penalties

Detroit Lions cornerback Arthur Maulet tackles Washington Commanders kick returner Noah Igbinoghene. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In his five seasons in the league, Igbinoghene has picked up 20 penalties over the course of his career. In 2024, Igbinoghene with the Commanders, he had nine total flags, eight of which were accepted by the opponent.

While he only had four penalties last season, he played in nearly 500 fewer snaps than the year prior. He started 10 games for the Commanders in 2024 but only had two starts this past season.

It remains to be seen how large Igbinoghene's role will be with the Seahawks. Naturally, he would be replacing Riq Woolen in the depth chart after he signed a $15 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. Igbinoghene is making a fraction of that, so the value could be there for the Seahawks, especially if he can do a good job not getting flagged.

The Seahawks could also look to add a cornerback in the draft, which would limit or possibly jeopardize his spot on the roster. Needless to say, he will have some work to do before proving to the Seahawks that he belongs on the field.

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