If the San Francisco 49ers want to add to their cornerbacks room, they might not have to look far for help.
One of the better pending free agents at cornerback this offseason is Seattle Seahawks veteran Riq Woolen, who is expected to be playing elsewhere in 2026.
According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, executives and coaches around the league believe that if he doesn't return to Seattle, the 49ers could make a play for him in free agency.
Tafur notes that The Athletic projects a four-year, $76 million deal for Woolen.
If Riq Woolen doesn’t re-sign with the Seahawks, several NFL executives and coaches think the 49ers will have interest in the 6-foot-4 cornerback. Woolen had some ups and downs winning a ring in Seattle but was pretty consistent locking down receivers, has speed and is only 27. He wouldn’t be cheap — The Athletic had him No. 26 in our free-agent rankings with a price tag of four years and $76 million — but would be an improvement over Renardo Green.
Tafur goes on to say that Woolen would be an improvement over Green, who we last saw getting chewed out by head coach Kyle Shanahan during the playoffs.
But we're not so sure the Niners are ready to give up on him yet.
After all, Green is still just 25 years old and has two more years left on his rookie deal. He also posted strong coverage numbers, giving up a completion rate of 55.1% and a passer rating of 80.0.
As for Woolen, he would be a solid addition for the Niners on paper.
Woolen would add more speed and experience to the Niners' unit, and his coverage numbers were even better than Green's in 2025, with Woolen giving up completions on 54.2% of the passes thrown his way while surrendering a passer rating of 75.5.
One issue is Woolen is better in man coverage than zone, and the Niners only deployed man coverage 17.5% of the time last season.
If new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris keeps things the same, that could deter San Francisco from signing Woolen.
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