While the Seattle Seahawks didn’t make a move with cornerback Riq Woolen at the trade deadline, he could trade places this offseason in the NFC West.
That’s the assessment of Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox. Woolen, a 2022 Pro Bowler, will become an unrestricted free agent after the season at the end of his four year, $3.99 million rookie deal.
“For whatever reason, Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has soured on cornerback Riq Woolen over the past couple of years, leading to plenty of trade buzz centered on the 26-year-old,” Knox wrote. “Woolen will fit what plenty of teams are looking for on defense. He’s a 6’4″, 210-pound defensive back with 11 interceptions on his resume. As a rookie in 2022, the Texas-San Antonio product allowed an opposing passer rating of only 48.7 in coverage.”
Knox named the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams — both NFC West rivals of the Seahawks — as potential destinations for Woolen. Seattle, which will have to pay big to keep Woolen, whom Knox projects a four-year, $72 million deal for in free agency.
“Charvarius Ward’s $18 million-per-season contract from last offseason should provide a baseline for Woolen’s next contract,” Knox wrote.
Spotrac projects in that ballpark for Woolen — a four-year, $64.96 million deal or $16.2 million annually. San Francisco is projected for $53.94 million in salary cap space in 2026, and the Rams are projected for $98.19 million in cap space per Spotrac.
Seattle, meanwhile, will have $88 million in cap space, so affording Woolen isn’t impossible. The fit is more of the issue as Knox shared via ESPN’ Jeremy Fowler’s report.
“They’ve been wanting to move him for a while,” an executive said via Fowler. “He doesn’t fit what [head coach Mike Macdonald] wants to do.”
Riq Woolen Started His Career Strong in Seattle
Woolen had a promising start to his career when the Seahawks took him with a fifth-round draft pick out of Texas-San Antonio in 2022.
He burst on the scene with a league-high six interceptions and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, the first Seahawks player to do that since linebacker Lofa Tatupu in 2005. His six interceptions and forced fumble was a unique achievement among defensive players, let alone rookies.
Woolen’s success continued in 2023 when he had two interceptions, 11 pass deflections, and 42 tackles. In 2024, he led the Seahawks with three interceptions (a tie) and pass deflections with 14.
Things have regressed this season with no interceptions, 22 tackles, and four pass deflections in seven games. That’s despite playing 91% of the defensive snaps thus far.
Reasons Seahawks Didn’t Trade Riq Woolen
While Woolen was one of the top trade candidates before the deadline, it didn’t come to fruition for multiple reasons.
First, the Seahawks didn’t get the trade compensation desired, and contending teams were willing to pay for a high-level defensive back — the case for Sauce Gardner and Jaire Alexander. Woolen’s play didn’t help, but Seahawks general manager John Schneider may have seen more potential in keeping Woolen than losing him for a late-round pick.
Seattle is in the thick of the playoff hunt, and the Seahawks have been dealing with injuries in the defensive backfield. Both circumstances behooved the Seahawks to keep a player with a big upside on the roster, as depth is needed down the stretch and in the postseason.
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