June 23, 2026
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
Riq Woolen #2 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on during a Philadelphia Eagles minicamp at the Jefferson Health Training Complex on May 27, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
As a rookie, Riq Woolen made the Pro Bowl. In his fourth season, Woolen became a Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks.
Naturally, when free agency came around in March, Woolen figured his resume combined with some seriously coveted athletic traits – the cornerback stands 6-foot-4 with 34-inch arms and clocked a 4.26 in the 40 – would manifest in a long-term deal somewhere.
It didn't.
Not only couldn't Woolen secure the big bag that young, productive Super Bowl champion defensive backs typically get, but the best deal for him turned out to be a one-year pact for the Eagles, with a maximum of $15 million.
"Yeah, I was a little surprised," said Woolen earlier this month, after an impressive showing with the Eagles throughout their OTAs and mandatory minicamps.
"You got confidence in yourself and you put in a great body of work, you feel like you deserve some type of fruit for your labor. But sometimes things don't go your way, but it's always a better plan. God's plan was to put me here, with a great team, and give me another chance to win a Super Bowl and be successful here."
The early returns on Woolen were overwhelmingly positive. Teammates raved about him during spring camp press conferences. Position coaches were enamored with his size-speed combo.
Even defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, never one for superfluous praise or enthusiasm, used the words "excited" and "thrilled" to describe having Woolen on board.
This from a guy who doesn't get excited unless the Earth moves.
"I was excited for him and kind of surprised that he was one of those guys that didn't get a lot of action for a long-term deal," Fangio said. "I was thrilled to get him. I think he's going to play [well] for us."
Woolen brings to the Eagles an answer, at least for 2026, at the cornerback spot opposite All-Pro Quinyon Mitchell and stops the carousel that last year spun through Adoree' Jackson, Kelee Ringo and several other candidates before Fangio finally determined that the veteran Jackson was the lesser of all evils.
Jackson ultimately didn't play that poorly, and the Eagles still finished with the NFL's eighth-best pass defense while opposing quarterbacks registered the league's second-lowest passer rating against them.
With Woolen in the fold, Fangio wasted no time moving versatile All-Pro defensive back Cooper DeJean to safety on base downs, an area where the Eagles needed a presence after losing Reed Blankenship to free agency.
With Mitchell and Woolen patrolling the outside, with DeJean and promising second-year pro Andrew Mukuba at safety, and with DeJean sliding to nickelback while either Marcus Epps or Michael Carter II subs as a third safety in nickel, the Eagles are expecting to rival any other NFL's team secondary.
Here's where the Eagles already ranked last year in several pass defense categories, prior to adding Woolen:
| Category | Stat | Rank |
| Pass Yards/Game | 189.8 | 8th |
| Pass Yards/Play | 5.93 | 7th |
| Opp Passer Rating | 75.4 | 2nd |
| Passes Defended | 90 | 5th |
| Opp Completion % | 56.8 | 1st |
After coming over from Seattle, which rode its star secondary to a Super Bowl title, Woolen didn't hesitate to put the Eagles right up there with the best of them.
"Honestly, just I feel like we can be one of the best secondary groups in the league," he said. "We are all confident about that. These guys have showed that, with their work. I've showed it with the work I've put in, being able to join them. The sky is the limit. I feel like we can be one of the best groups in the NFL."
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