The Seattle Seahawks have already put the league on notice with what their defense can do when it’s rolling. If they want to keep that momentum going, there’s a familiar name sitting in Philadelphia who could make sense as a deadline target: Riq Woolen.
Woolen is now with the Eagles, but a return to Seattle would give Mike Macdonald another long, disruptive outside cornerback to work with. If John Schneider can land him at the right price, this is the kind of move that could quietly sharpen an already dangerous defense.
Seattle’s season has had its share of twists. The Seahawks beat New England and Arizona to start the year, then dropped a tight one to Washington.
They answered with a win over the Los Angeles Chargers, but back-to-back close losses to San Francisco and Denver left them at 3-3. Then came the statement game: a 20-3 win over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, a result powered by a defense that held Kansas City to 213 total yards and kept them out of the end zone.
Sam Darnold handled the offense efficiently, Jaxon Smith-Njigba found the end zone, and Seattle moved back to 4-3.
That win put the Seahawks back in the NFC West conversation, even if the 49ers remain a major hurdle. It also showed exactly what Macdonald’s defense can look like when it squeezes everything out of an opponent. A cornerback like Woolen would add another layer to that formula, especially with the Chicago Bears coming to town on November 2.
Woolen is no stranger to Seattle. He spent his first four NFL seasons there before signing with Philadelphia in March 2026.
At 6-foot-4, he brings rare straight-line speed and the kind of length that changes the math on the outside. He can contest throws at the catch point, and he has a physical profile that separates him from most corners.
During Seattle’s Super Bowl-winning 2025 season, Woolen finished with 12 pass breakups and an interception in 16 games.
A reunion would also give Seattle flexibility with Devon Witherspoon. Woolen on the perimeter would let Macdonald use Witherspoon in the slot more often, and that opens the door for more disguise in the back end. With Woolen handling outside matchups, the Seahawks could bring pressure without feeling exposed on the boundary.
Philadelphia’s situation makes the idea even more interesting. The Eagles are 2-5, and their season has gone off course because of offensive inconsistency and defensive issues.
Woolen has started all seven games, posting 27 tackles and six pass breakups, but he has not intercepted a pass. The tools are still there, but the question for Philadelphia is whether a veteran on a one-year contract is worth keeping around.
Seattle should start with a conditional 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round selection. That gives the Eagles a meaningful return while keeping the price in range for the Seahawks. The fourth-rounder could be tied to playing time or postseason benchmarks, giving Seattle some protection if Woolen doesn’t settle in quickly.
For Howie Roseman, the trade would turn a short-term signing into future draft flexibility. Philadelphia signed Woolen to a one-year deal worth a reported $12 million fully guaranteed, and his cap hit is about $3.4 million in 2026. Moving him wouldn’t wipe away the signing bonus already paid, but it would leave the Eagles dealing with dead-cap consequences.
If Philadelphia pushes for more, Schneider should hold firm.
The Seahawks already have enough pieces to pressure quarterbacks. The win over Kansas City made that clear.
Woolen would just make the coverage behind that rush sturdier, giving Macdonald more ways to mix man, zone, and pressure looks. He knows the system, he knows the environment, and he would not be walking into a foreign setup.
That doesn’t mean he would fix everything in the secondary overnight. But this is the kind of measured, targeted addition a contender can justify.
Seattle doesn’t need to reinvent itself. It just needs to strengthen what’s already working.
A fourth-rounder and a sixth-rounder feels like the right place to begin. If Philadelphia is willing to listen, Seattle ought to pick up the phone.
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