Riq Woolen didn’t need long to make the Eagles feel good about the move.
In his first game with Philadelphia, the former Seahawks cornerback turned in the kind of performance that looked nothing like the version Seattle fans had spent years trying to figure out. Woolen was steady, clean and disruptive in the Eagles’ 24-22 win over the Washington Commanders, and for one Sunday at least, the “mercurial” label that followed him in Seattle stayed in the background.
The stat line was modest on the surface: one tackle. But that doesn’t tell the story of what Woolen did in coverage.
He was targeted four times and didn’t allow a completion. If you want to get picky, you could point to a 1-yard Commanders touchdown pass as another target, but Woolen was on that side of the field and the throw went to the flat while he was picked by another player.
There was nothing he could do to stop it.
That kind of debut is exactly why Woolen can still make people believe there’s more there. He showed up in the biggest moments, too, and if this level of play sticks, Philadelphia may have found a real bargain on a one-year deal.
The season is still young, of course, and the Eagles could still run into the same old issue Seattle did: a corner who can be brilliant, then drift. But if Woolen keeps playing like he did against Washington, he’ll have plenty of chances to rewrite the story.
For Seattle, the decision to move on came with its own logic. General manager John Schneider knew what he was doing in letting Woolen walk this offseason, and the Seahawks had learned they couldn’t always count on him to follow a huge play with the kind of celebration that led to an unsportsmanlike penalty. That was part of the package in Seattle, right alongside the upside.
There’s still a long way to go before anyone can talk about revenge, personal or otherwise, and Woolen only has one game in Philadelphia under his belt. But if he keeps this up, the Eagles will be thrilled, and the Seahawks may eventually find themselves wondering what might have been.
Seattle’s Week 1 answer at corner was Nehemiah Pritchett, who got a lot of reps against a New England Patriots offense that isn’t very good right now. That may look fine in the moment. By midway through the year, though, Woolen could be thriving in Philly while Pritchett settles back into mediocrity.
That’s the bet both teams are living with now: Woolen can be a star for the Eagles, and Seattle will hope Pritchett can do enough to make the loss easier to swallow.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Sam Darnold Problem They Can't Yet Solve
The Seahawks are sorting through an early quarterback setback after Sam Darnold was ruled out with what the team now says is a glute injury, not the hip issue that was first reported. The expectation is that he will miss Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals, leaving Seattle to lean on Drew Lock to keep the offense steady while Darnold heals up.
For a team that brought Darnold in to stabilize the position, the timing is hardly ideal, especially with a division game next on the schedule. Seattle is hopeful the injury is short-term and will get a clearer read on his status after this week, but for now the focus shifts to whether Lock can keep the Seahawks on track until the starter is ready to return. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Just Got A Break In A Crucial 49ers Matchup
The 49ers are already dealing with an early setback at wide receiver, and it comes at an awkward time with Seattle watching the NFC West race closely. Rookie DeZhaun Stribling, who was injured in the Week 1 game against the Rams, is expected to miss at least a month after suffering a deltoid ligament injury, leaving San Francisco a little thinner in a part of the offense that was supposed to help open things up.
Stribling had briefly returned to the game after the injury before leaving later on a non-contact play, and his absence could matter in ways that go beyond one receiver's target share. His speed was part of the 49ers plan to stretch the field, so Seattle will take any break it can get in a matchup that already carries plenty of weight in the division. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Injury Trouble Just Raised The Stakes In The NFC West
The first week of the NFC West season already felt like it came with an asterisk, and the latest injury news only adds to the uncertainty. Seattle is dealing with quarterback Sam Darnold being sidelined by a glute tendon issue, while the Rams are already bracing for a stretch without linebacker Myles Garrett after knee surgery. Layer those absences onto the opening results, with San Francisco handling Los Angeles decisively and Arizona beating the Chargers, and the division picture suddenly looks a lot less settled than it did a few days ago.
For the Seahawks, the timing matters as much as the injury itself. Early September is supposed to be about establishing footing, but instead the NFC West is already being shaped by health, depth, and how quickly teams can absorb losses at key spots. Seattle has every reason to monitor the ripple effects closely, because a division that looked like a tight race on paper is already tilting in ways that could matter later, even if the full impact is still to come. [Read more 🡒]