The Seattle Seahawks’ secondary took another major blow in early October, when starting cornerback Riq Woolen suffered a concussion in the Week 5 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The injury further exposed Seattle’s growing depth issues on defense.
Woolen exited midway through the third quarter after taking a hard hit on a run play and did not return. Before the setback, the fourth-year corner had been one of the few constants on the Seahawks’ defense, playing 97% of defensive snaps through four games.
In his absence, second-year corner Nehemiah Pritchett struggled in coverage, and with Devon Witherspoon and Julian Love already sidelined, Seattle’s secondary was stretched to its limits.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield tore through Seattle’s depleted backfield, completing 29 of 33 passes for 379 yards and two touchdowns. While Sam Darnold kept the Seahawks competitive with 341 yards and four scores, the defense’s inability to contain the Buccaneers’ air attack ultimately cost them a 38-35 loss at home.
The injury only magnified existing uncertainty about Woolen’s future in Seattle. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen, Woolen has emerged as one of the league’s strongest trade candidates ahead of the deadline. “They’ve been wanting to move him for a while,” one league executive told Fowler. “He doesn’t fit what [head coach Mike Macdonald] wants to do.”
Woolen, who stands at 6-foot-4 and possesses elite speed, has recorded 11 interceptions and 30 pass breakups in his career. His man-coverage skills remain appealing to other teams, though inconsistent tackling and lapses in eye discipline have limited his ceiling.
Fowler added that Seattle’s willingness to trade Woolen could depend on Devon Witherspoon’s health, as the second-year corner has battled injuries throughout the season.
Bowen described Woolen as a “rare athlete” best suited for a defense that prioritizes man coverage and allows him to use his length and recovery speed on the perimeter. ESPN placed the probability of a trade at 50%, listing the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as possible fits.
For Seattle, the decision may come down to timing and roster flexibility. With a strong defensive unit otherwise intact, moving Woolen could open cap space and bring in valuable draft capital. But given the team’s ongoing injuries in the secondary, parting ways with him could also risk destabilizing a defense still finding its footing under Macdonald.
This report from late September suggests that even as the Seahawks push to stay competitive, Woolen’s situation remains one of the NFL’s most intriguing storylines entering the trade deadline.
