Much of the free agency speak involving who may be leaving the Seattle Seahawks in free agency has targeted on operating again Kenneth Walker and broad receiver Rashid Shaheed. Not a whole lot of speak has occurred about cornerback Riq Woolen, however that could possibly be as a result of he is presumed to leave.
Woolen is able to supplying wonderful protection, after all, however he is inconsistent in all elements of the sport. Not solely inconsistent when it comes to being good for one recreation and never the following, however from one play to the following. His efficiency could be maddening to each coaches and followers.
Against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, as an illustration, he was first rate for a lot of the sport, and terrible on the finish with a horrible penalty setting the 49ers up deep in Seattle territory late within the Seahawks loss, after which permitting a landing go by not simply knocking the ball down.
Riq Woolen appears destined to go away the Seattle Seahawks in free agency
In the NFC Championship recreation in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams, the cornerback was rightfully penalized for useless taunting that gave LA a primary down when the Rams would have been dealing with 4th-and-13, and on the following play, he gave up a protracted landing go. Woolen was a part of a title-winning staff, however Seattle may have carried out with an general higher nook than Woolen.
Still, as a result of Woolen generally is a shutdown nook at occasions, he is most likely going to receives a commission a bunch when free agency unofficially begins on Monday, March 9. His asking value has diminished considerably, according to Spotrac. At one level, he may need requested for one thing within the mid-teens as far as thousands and thousands of {dollars} per season.
Now, it seems, the cornerback might solely get as a lot as $8 million per 12 months on the open market. Is that an excessive amount of? Not in Woolen’s relation to how a lot different cornerbacks are paid. That quantity would possibly even be reasonably priced for the Seattle Seahawks.
The challenge is that head coach Mike Macdonald and basic supervisor John Schneider know they can’t absolutely belief Riq Woolen. He was suspended for violating a staff rule, missed the primary drive of Week 15 in 2024, and noticed lowered reps in 2025 after Josh Jobe outplayed him.
Jobe is a free agent as nicely, and the staff would possibly prioritize re-signing him fairly than giving Woolen a lot of a suggestion. That could be the good transfer. What seems clear is that in a little over a week, Riq Woolen can be one other staff’s drawback, not the Seahawks’.
