Riq Woolen Mike Macdonald
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Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald set the record straight on why the team lost cornerback Riq Woolen to NFL free agency.
Super Bowl winning head coach Mike Macdonald has the reputation of being a mild-mannered guy. He didn’t necessarily lose his cool with a Philadelphia Eagles reporter Monday at the NFL’s annual league meeting. But Macdonald also didn’t miss an opportunity to set the record straight on cornerback Riq Woolen.
When asked what went into the decision to allow Woolen to leave in NFL free agency, Macdonald responded with a short answer.
“We didn’t let him go.”
Then to a follow-up question from the same reporter, Macdonald explained how much Woolen meant to the Seahawks.
“[The Eagles are] getting a great player,” Macdonald said, via The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar. “We love Riq. He’s a great player.
“Just can’t afford him.”
Woolen posted 41 combined tackles, 12 pass defenses and an interception for the Seahawks in 2025. He appeared in 16 games, making seven starts.
Over four seasons in Seattle, Woolen registered 203 combined tackles, 53 pass defenses and 12 interceptions. He was tied for the NFL lead with six picks as a rookie in 2022.
Woolen left in free agency to sign a 1-year, $12 million deal with the Eagles.
Why Seahawks Couldn’t Afford CB Riq Woolen in 2026 NFL Offseason?
Seattle actually entered this offseason as a team with some of the most cap space in the league. So, it’s a little bit curious that Macdonald would claim the Seahawks couldn’t afford Woolen.
The veteran cornerback only landed a 1-year deal in free agency. Therefore, some fans might see his comments about affordability as an excuse.
SI on Seahawks’ Connor Benintendi explained Monday, though, that Macdonald is likely looking further down the road with his answer.
“Seattle still has $30.045 million in effective cap space for 2026 (which accounts for the incoming draft class), per Over The Cap, meaning they could have afforded Woolen’s deal with the Eagles,” Benintendi wrote. “Macdonald’s answer is likely accounting for their future plans that haven’t been completed yet, which is why it appears that way currently.”
Before Woolen’s deal with the Eagles, the Seahawks still had to sign wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njibga. Seattle accomplished that by making Smith-Njibga the highest-paid receiver in NFL history.
The Seahawks still have to sign cornerback Devon Witherspoon to a new deal too.
After Witherspoon’s extension, the Seahawks might not have much cap space remaining for 2026.
How The Seahawks Replace Woolen
While the Seahawks lost Woolen to free agency, the team did re-sign cornerback Josh Jobe. The veteran cornerback will return on a 3-year, $24 million deal.
Interestingly, Jobe and Woolen each played about 72% of the team’s defensive snaps in 2025. But that was mainly due to Witherspoon only playing 12 games because of injury.
In 2026, the Seahawks should move forward with Witherspoon and Jobe as their two starting cornerbacks.
Second-year defensive back Nick Emmanwori could also play more at nickel, helping to replace Woolen. Emmanwori played multiple positions in the Seattle secondary as a rookie.
Finally, the Seahawks also signed cornerback Noah Igbinoghene in NFL free agency.
Woolen will be a loss for the Seattle secondary, but the Seahawks have the players to replace him. He was already getting replaced toward the end of the 2025 campaign.
That doesn’t mean Macdonald and the Seahawks wanted Woolen to leave. At the price he demanded in free agency, though, it was a necessary move for Seattle to afford the other players it wants to keep beyond 2026.