Seahawks Predicted to Not Re-Sign Pro Bowl Cornerback

The Seattle Seahawks are not going to be able to keep everyone from their Super Bowl championship roster, which will lead to unfortunate goodbyes.

One player that is expected to be part of the casualties this offseason is cornerback Riq Woolen, who came to the Seahawks as a fifth-round pick out of UTSA back in the 2022 NFL Draft. Woolen has had his fair share of ups and downs during his time with the Seahawks, but it looks like the pros are outweighing the cons.

"The situation between the Seahawks and Woolen was a bit weird all last season, although it's easy for a Super Bowl title to cover up any awkwardness. The Seahawks benched him briefly a couple of times, and he was out of the starting lineup for the second half of the season, even though he was still playing about two-thirds of defensive snaps," ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz wrote.

"Woolen ranked a surprising 12th in my coverage DVOA metric in 2025, allowing just 5.6 yards per target. But at the same time, he can be hard to trust when he has small meltdowns like the one in the NFC Championship Game, during which he drew a taunting penalty then gave up a touchdown. If another team wants to pay Woolen starting cornerback money, the Seahawks are probably fine with that."

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Riq Woolen Likely Joining Another Team This Season

New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins catches a pass against Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Woolen, 26, played 16 games for the Seahawks this past season, recording 41 tackles and an interception.

He started all the two games in his first three seasons, but this past season he was only in the starting lineup for seven of the team's 16 games throughout the postseason. He was also not starting, but he came up with eight tackles during the playoffs.

Woolen's potential should have other teams excited about him, which could prompt him to leave the Seahawks in free agency. If other teams look at the rookie year he had with six interceptions, they could give Woolen a contract where they could bank on the upside.

Given the fact the Seahawks have to re-sign Josh Jobe and extend Devon Witherspoon, it's unlikely that the team will re-sign Woolen this offseason.

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