Riq Woolen
Getty
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen.
In the most stealth way, the Philadelphia Eagles may have changed their fortunes for the 2026 season on the 2nd day of free agency.
It’s hard to imagine a better defensive backfield in the NFL than what the Eagles now feature. Two NFL All-Pros are returning with outside cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, slot cornerback Cooper DeJean — both already Super Bowl champions — now paired with another Super Bowl champion in outside cornerback Riq Woolen after he signed a 1-year, $15 million free agent contract.
It’s the type of secondary that keeps offensive coordinators and quarterbacks up at night, and the Eagles are receiving praise across the board for the move, getting “A” grades from both ESPN and The Athletic for signing Woolen.
“Woolen is fascinating because he is not widely considered to be among the game’s top cornerbacks, but his numbers are right there with the best,” ESPN’s Seth Walder wrote on Wednesday. “Over the past four seasons, among outside corners with at least 500 coverage snaps, do you know who allowed the fewest yards per coverage snap? Woolen, at 0.7, one spot ahead of new teammate Quinyon Mitchell and two spots ahead of 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II … Good luck, opposing receivers.”
Part of the genius of signing Woolen was that the Eagles leapt when they saw other teams weren’t ready to pay big for Woolen, who will now be essentially in a “prove it” season with Philadelphia as he tries to land a massive contract in the 2027 cycle.
“Woolen’s market did not materialize as I had expected,” The Athletic’s Daniel Popper wrote. ” … The Eagles add another valuable piece to Vic Fangio’s secondary, and Woolen is in line to test free agency again in 2027.”
Character Concerns May Have Impacted Value
While it’s hard to point to any 1 on-field incident as the reason any player might not get the payday they expected, it happens. And with Woolen, it’s not hard to imagine teams being reticent to sign him after he incurred 1 of the dumbest penalties in recent memory and in 1 of the most critical moments of the season.
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 and, boom, it’s a game again.
While the Seahawks won the game and eventually won the Super Bowl, Woolen has found the moment hard to shake off. 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 Still Have Massive Hole at Edge Rusher
While the Eagles may have solidified their secondary with Woolen, they are dealing with a massive hole at edge rusher after Jaelan Phillips left for a 4-year, $120 million free agent contract with the Carolina Panthers — thought to be the largest unrestricted free agent contract for a non-skill player in NFL history.