The Philadelphia Eagles have given cornerback Kelee Ringo every opportunity under the sun to establish himself as a full-time starter — nothing seems to take.
The Athletic’s Zach Berman thinks Ringo might still have value for the Eagles — as a trade piece.
Ringo, a 2023 4th-round pick (No. 105 overall), has played in every regular-season game and playoff game for the Eagles over the last 3 seasons, including a Super Bowl win following the 2024 season.
Berman included Ringo on his 53-man roster projections for 2026 — with an asterisk.
“Ringo earns a roster spot as a special teams contributor, although he’s also a trade candidate,” Berman wrote on July 31.
Pro Football Focus graded Ringo out at 55.3 overall in 2025 — putting him 88th out of 114 eligible players at his position. While that makes him 1 of the NFL’s worst corners on paper, teams are seemingly always desirous to add players off winning teams. Which means there might be a trade market for Ringo, who is in the final year of his 4-year, $4.66 million rookie contract.
Winning Part of Kelee Ringo’s Football DNA
Whatever teams Ringo has been a part of during his football career to this point all have one thing in common — they win championships.
Ringo won a state championship at Saguaro (Arizona) High School on the way to becoming the nation’s No. 1-rated cornerback recruit in 2020.
In college, Ringo won 2 College Football Playoff national championships at Georgia in 2021 and 2022, when he was an All-SEC pick and sealed the win over Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game with a 79-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Over Ringo’s final 2 college seasons, the Bulldogs went 29-1.
Kelee Ringo Missed Chance to Take Over as Starter
There was a huge opportunity for Ringo — or anyone else — to take over the starting outside cornerback spot opposite NFL All-Pro Quinyon Mitchell in 2025.
“This coming offseason represents Kelee’s best chance to win a starting job since his arrival,” Eagles Wire’s Geoffrey A Knox wrote in June 2025. “He’s had to wait behind Slay and (Isaiah) Rodgers, but Vic Fangio and his defensive coaches will provide him with ample opportunity to win a starter’s role. Nothing will be handed to him, and he knows that. … For Kelee, this coming training camp is as much about competition as it is cooperation. He’s looking to slide his nameplate into one of those starting positions on the Eagles’ depth chart.”
After watching 1 cornerback after another try and fail to man the spot, the Eagles turned to free agency this offseason and may have found a gem in former Seattle Seahawks cornerback and Super Bowl champion Riq Woolen.
Woolen is playing on a 1-year, $12 million contract in 2026 as he tries to set himself up for a massive payday in 2027.
ESPN singled Woolen out as the NFL’s “Biggest Surprise” before training camp.
“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.”
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