The Philadelphia Eagles finally got involved in the free agency frenzy on Tuesday evening after watching three key members of their defense (Nakobe Dean, Jaelan Phillips, Reed Blankenship) leave the organization on the first day of the legal tampering period on Monday.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Eagles are signing former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen to a one-year deal worth up to $15 million. Woolen, who is coming off a Super Bowl 60 win with the Seahawks, will slot in as the Eagles’ CB2 opposite Quinyon Mitchell. Before inking Woolen to a one-year pact, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the Eagles were “initially heavy” on Alontae Taylor, who ultimately signed with the Tennessee Titans.
Woolen will be taking over Adoree’ Jackson, who was the Eagles’ starting CB2 last season. Jackson didn’t have the best start on the boundary, but he improved throughout the course of the season.
Philadelphia could have re-signed the 30-year-old Jackson as he’s an unrestricted free agent. However, the Eagles decided to roll with the younger option in Woolen. This past season, the 26-year-old cornerback played in 16 games but started in seven, thanks to Josh Jobe’s emergence. Woolen was a full-time starter in his first three years in Seattle, which included a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie in 2022.
Despite not having the full-time starter tag in 2025, Woolen still made plays for a Seahawks’ passing defense that allowed the 11th-fewest passing yards per game (211.9). Now, he’ll be joining an Eagles’ defense that gave up the fewest passing yards in the NFL (174.2).
The former UTSA standout had 41 combined tackles, 12 pass deflections, a tackle for loss, and a quarterback hit. As for Woolen’s advanced stats, opposing quarterbacks completed 54.2 percent of their passes against him. Additionally, he gave up 8.9 yards per completion (career-low), three receiving touchdowns, and had a 75.5 passer rating when targeted.
At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds with a 6-foot-6 wingspan, there aren’t times that Woolen will get beaten. Also, Woolen is one of the fastest cornerbacks in the league with a 4.26 40-yard dash, which isn’t too shabby for someone who began his collegiate career as a wide receiver.
With Woolen reportedly in the fold, the Eagles’ cornerback room is all set, as he should complement Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Philadelphia’s next task will be to find a replacement for Blankenship either in free agency or the NFL draft.
