Riq Woolen is a riddle wrapped inside an enigma wrapped inside something or other. He has, at times, been brilliant for the Seattle Seahawks, but at times awful. There is no rhyme or reason to either. He can be great against the best receivers or terrible against the worst.
Plus, just when Woolen appears to be just about benched, he picks his play up. Is that a coincidence or his reaction to what is happening? The hope is that it is a coincidence because if he is waiting to be good until he is forced to, that's bad.
After struggling through the first five games of the season and missing a game completely because of injury, Woolen has been fantastic in the last two games. He allowed five of 11 targets to be completed combined against the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders, but for a total of 29 yards. He has had two passes broken up in that time.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen's asking price might be huge in 2026
When Woolen is good, he is great. When he is underperforming, he is bad. There is seemingly no middle ground.
He is also 6'4" and 210 pounds with tons of speed, so he has all the physical attributes that every NFL team would like. Does his attitude seem quite mercurial? Yes, but if he can ever approach each week the same, and at his most focused, Woolen is elite.
But $18 million a season for the Seattle Seahawks great? Maybe not. That number comes from Kristopher Knox's recent article ranking the top potential free agents for the NFL in 2026. He also projects what each free agent might get.
For Woolen, Knox thinks there is a chance that Woolen gets a four-year deal worth a maximum of $72 million. Worse, Knox projects that should Woolen does not re-sign with Seattle, the next two likeliest teams he goes to are NFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers.
A problem worse than Seattle overpaying for Riq Woolen is the 49ers or Rams acquiring him, and the cornerback playing well. No Seahawks fan wants that.
Riq Woolen has gotten slightly fewer snaps this year, but still is on nearly 90 percent of defensive snaps. Maybe the Seattle Seahawks have lost some faith in the fourth-year cornerback, but not a huge amount. If he is great the rest of the season, he should return, but only at the right price, and $18 million a season might not be that price.