The Philadelphia Eagles already have 2 NFL All-Pro cornerbacks in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
They may have brought in another 1 with Riq Woolen, who is playing on a 1-year, $12 million free-agent contract after winning a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2025.
ESPN singled Woolen out as the NFL’s “Biggest Surprise” just a little over 1 month from when the Eagles report to training camp on July 27.
“The Eagles signed Woolen to a one-year deal worth up to $15 million this offseason to solidify the corner spot opposite Quinyon Mitchell,” ESPN’s Tim McManus wrote on June 22. “He has opened some eyes with his unique blend of size (6-foot-4, 210 pounds), speed and coverage skills. The highlight was an interception of a Jalen Hurts throw during minicamp when he anticipated a throw to tight end Dallas Goedert, undercut the route and sped the other way with the pick.”
Eagles Signing Woolen Called ‘Best Offseason Move’
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell called signing Woolen to a 1-year, $12 million free-agent contract the NFL’s “Best Offseason Move” before his standout performance at minicamp.
“Bringing in Woolen upgrades the Eagles at two spots,” Barnwell wrote. “In their nickel subpackage, Woolen’s size and ability to disrupt routes should appeal to Fangio. The former Seahawks corner has allowed a passer rating under 80 in each of his first four seasons as a pro. He’ll also play on the outside when the Eagles are in their base defense, allowing DeJean to move to safety in four-DB sets, which will help the Eagles cover for the departed Reed Blankenship.”
While Mitchell can be counted on to lock down a team’s WR1 option, the Eagles faced problems against teams with any sort of depth at wide receiver in 2025.
Led by venerated defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, the Eagles continued to improve over the season. They looked like 1 of the NFL’s elite units again by the end of the year — save for the outside cornerback spot opposite Mitchell. That’s where the Eagles tried to fill the role with veterans Adoree Jackson and Kelee Ringo at different times, and with little success.
Jackson’s play was especially heinous in 14 games with 10 starts, where he was targeted on 20 percent of passing plays, and his 56.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranked him 89th out of 114 eligible NFL cornerbacks.
On-Field Incident Proved Costly for Riq Woolen
After helping lead the Seahawks to the 2nd Super Bowl win in franchise history in 2025, Woolen thought he was looking at a much more robust free agency market.
While it’s hard to point to any 1 on-field incident as the reason any player may not have landed the payday they expected, there is a chance it happened in this case.
Leading the Los Angeles Rams 31-20 with 2:31 left in the 3rd quarter of the NFC Championship Game, the Seahawks got a stop on 3rd & 2 and were ready to get the ball back … until Woolen got called for taunting the Rams sideline after the play.
A few plays later, Woolen gave up a touchdown pass to NFL All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua. While the Seahawks won the game and eventually won the Super Bowl, Woolen has found the moment hard to shake. His less-than-thoughtful apology didn’t help.
“No cap high intense game and when you in the zone and ballin with your bros sometimes you black out,” Woolen wrote on X following the game.
Eagles’ ‘Unique’ $15 Million Free Agent Singled Out as NFL’s ‘Biggest Surprise’