Pundits have worked under the assumption cornerback Riq Woolen would leave the Seattle Seahawks in 2026 NFL free agency. Now days before free agency, ESPN doesn’t see that changing.
ESPN’s NFL staff wrote Friday it fully expects Woolen to depart the Seahawks this offseason.
Free agents can sign with new teams officially at 4 pm ET Wednesday. Players can begin negotiating with other teams, through their agents, beginning at 12 pm ET Monday.
“Riq Woolen is expected to sign elsewhere …” wrote ESPN’s staff. “With a mini-benching in 2024, a demotion to the No. 3 corner in 2025 and the Seahawks open to trading him at the deadline in November, the writing has clearly been on the wall.
“Woolen has a rare blend of size and speed, and at his best, he’s one of the game’s better ball-hawking cornerbacks. That should be enough to get him a lucrative contract from another team — and a middle-round compensatory pick for Seattle in 2027.”
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper projected Woolen to be worth a 4-year, $76 million contract in free agency.
Woolen finished tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions as a rookie in 2022. He made the Pro Bowl that season.
In 2025, though, he wasn’t a consistent starter. As ESPN mentioned, the Seahawks entertained trade offers for the cornerback before November’s trade deadline.
While playing 64 games for the Seahawks, Woolen posted 53 pass defenses and 12 interceptions.
Why Riq Woolen Will Leave Seahawks in 2026 NFL Free Agency
As ESPN explained, there are several reasons why the expectation is Woolen will not return to Seattle.
The cornerback and Seahawks ended on a tremendous high note with a Super Bowl victory. And during the stretch run, Woolen played more than two-thirds of the team’s defensive snaps.
But ultimately, Woolen lost his starting job during 2025. He didn’t start again following Week 10. That was shortly after the team didn’t move him at the NFL trade deadline.
The Seahawks have the cap space to re-sign the free agents they want. But with the “writing on the wall” for quite some time, most pundits expect the Seahawks to make other members of their defense a priority in free agency.
Seattle could also re-sign running back Kenneth Walker and/or wide receiver and returner Rashid Shaheed instead.
Projecting Woolen’s Market Value in NFL Free Agency
It’s not uncommon for there to be a wide range of contract projections for a variety of free agents this time of year. But for Woolen, the range is very wide.
Popper sees the cornerback landing a massive payday on a 4-year deal. Spotrac, though, was much more conservative with its projection.
Spotrac estimated Woolen’s market value at only $8.2 million. The NFL contracts website also set the cornerback’s value only on a 1-year deal.
That seems like a vast underestimation. But it could give Seahawks fans hope until Woolen actually signs with a new team that the cornerback could return on a cheaper deal.
Even if that’s Woolen’s market, though, it would make sense for the cornerback to sign elsewhere so he can be in the starting lineup. Then if he’s on a 1-year deal in 2026, he could earn a higher pay raise next offseason.
Seahawks Expected to Lose Projected $76 Million CB