New Eagles CB Riq Woolen is ready to get his Philly career started. He has a lot at stake in 2026.
Woolen comes to Philly as a reigning Super Bowl champion on a one-year deal, with the promise of bigger things to come if the season is a success.
Riq Woolen isn’t one to move in silence. As soon as the new Eagles cornerback sat down for his introductory news conference at the Jefferson Health Training Complex on Thursday, he made that point loud and clear.
“Good afternoon,” Woolen said, then paused a beat for responses from the local media. The tepid replies weren’t up to Woolen’s standards.
“Y’all are in here asleep. Wake up,” Woolen said with a smile.
Woolen can’t be accused of lacking energy, especially on the field. The 26-year-old cornerback is set to bring his fiery personality to the Eagles secondary, as he officially signed his one-year, $12 million deal with the team on Thursday.
His passion, he says, mirrors the players within Vic Fangio’s defense, making him a strong fit with his new teammates after four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
“I like to go out there, have swagger,” Woolen said. “I’ve got to have passion. God didn’t make me to be a quiet person. God made me to go show off my abilities and play with passion and enthusiasm, and to fit in a culture where a lot of players do play with passion and enthusiasm is going to be a lot of fun.”
Those abilities alone have the potential to upgrade an already strong cornerback corps that features Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. His new Eagles teammates — not just in the secondary, but also in the first two levels of the defense — reminded him of the dominant “Dark Side” defense in Seattle, prompting his decision to sign in Philadelphia in free agency.
Woolen can provide an instant upgrade. Last season, Adoree’ Jackson started on the outside opposite Mitchell. While the nine-year NFL veteran gradually improved throughout the season, the 26-year-old Woolen has a far higher ceiling. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, he boasts rare size and speed as one of the best man corners in the league.
According to Next Gen Stats, Woolen allowed a 27.6% completion rate in man coverage last season, which was the lowest by any defender to face a minimum of 20 targets in man since at least 2018. With a track record like that, chewing gum and Elmer’s Glue could learn a thing or two about stickiness from Woolen.
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But Woolen’s aversion to silence can get him in trouble. He led the league with three taunting penalties last year in the regular season and postseason combined, which was more than any single NFL team — besides the Eagles (who had three total).
Perhaps no infraction was more egregious than his taunting penalty in the NFC championship game against the Los Angeles Rams. After breaking up a pass on fourth down, Woolen jawed with players on the Rams’ sideline and was penalized, then gave up a touchdown to Puka Nacua on the following play.
While the penalties and breakdowns sting in the moment, they have served as lessons for Woolen.
“Shoot, once you make the play, just turn to your sideline and go over there,” Woolen said. “You can never go wrong if you celebrate with your teammates. You can never go wrong if you just get to your sideline after you make a play. Because those are the guys you want to celebrate with anyway.”
Woolen could have more to celebrate in the future if the season goes his way. After winning Super Bowl LX with Seattle, Woolen is eager to join another team with a championship culture. The Eagles are also a team with familiar faces, including defensive line coach Clint Hurtt and cornerbacks coach Roy Anderson, Woolen’s former defensive coordinator and secondary coach, respectively, with the Seahawks. Hurtt worked with Woolen during his 2022 Pro Bowl rookie season.
Plus, by teaming up with Mitchell and DeJean, Woolen rounds out a cornerbacks trio that could haunt opposing quarterbacks.
“It’s awesome because it’s like, dang,” Woolen said. “Where can you throw the ball to?”
Team success could beget personal success, too. Woolen is playing on a one-year deal, so a strong, consistent performance as a full-time starter in 2026 could lead to a multiyear extension in Philadelphia or elsewhere. A rising tide lifts all ships in the secondary, especially when those ships are All-Pro cornerbacks.
Woolen expressed an understanding that he isn’t a finished product. He can improve his tackling. He can continue to take strides in zone coverage. And, most notably, he has room to grow in the mental side of the game.
“I sometimes get in my head a little bit,” Woolen said. ”But at the same time, I like to show a lot of passion when I play. Sometimes I can get out of control a little bit. [Overdo] it a little bit. But most of the time, I just feel like I’m just being a great player and whenever you make plays, you’ve just got to lock in a little more and just focus and celebrate with your teammates a little bit.”
By making the right kind of noise on the field, Woolen has the potential to show the league he deserves a long-term deal.