The Seattle Seahawks may have a cornerback problem on their hands, and the latest Riq Woolen update is the kind of news fans in Seattle probably didn’t want to hear.
Woolen, who left in free agency and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, has been drawing strong reviews throughout training camp. He has played so well that he hasn’t needed to appear in the team’s preseason games, and this week his stock got another boost during a practice that featured two interceptions of Jalen Hurts.
Eagles beat reporter EJ Smith wrote, "Riq Woolen just picked off Jalen Hurts for a second time tonight, this time a pick-6 after jumping an out route to DeVonta Smith."
That’s the version of Woolen the Seahawks have always known can show up. At his best, he’s one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL, thanks to the size and speed to hang with top receivers.
The problem has never been his ceiling. It’s been the wild swings.
Woolen’s talent has often come with the kind of mistakes that drive coaches crazy. After a huge play, he’s been known to celebrate a little too hard, draw a 15-yard flag for taunting or unsportsmanlike conduct, and then give up a big gain right after. That pattern showed up again last season in both the NFC Championship game and the Super Bowl.
That inconsistency is a big reason Seattle didn’t exactly go all-in to keep him. General manager John Schneider also appeared to be right in not paying Woolen a lot of money to remain in the Pacific Northwest.
Woolen had been an inconsistent performer with a mercurial attitude, and the Seahawks had already tried discipline before, including making him sit for an opening series in a 2024 game after breaking a team rule. It didn’t lead to lasting change.
Instead, Woolen kept being Woolen, even while his run support remained shaky.
So far in Philadelphia, though, the picture looks different. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Eagles have solved him, but the early returns are hard to ignore. And if the pressure in Philadelphia is helping him stay locked in, then the Seahawks may have a real reason to wonder what they let walk out the door.
If Woolen keeps this up, he can be a Pro Bowler. And if that happens, Seattle will feel the decision to let him leave in free agency just a little more than it already does.
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