5 things to know about new Eagles CB Riq Woolen, from costly trash talking to his wide receiver roots

Former Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen is now an Eagle, signing a one-year deal worth up to $15 million on Tuesday.

Woolen, who goes by Riq and spent his first four seasons in Seattle, was one of the highly touted free-agent cornerbacks — not to mention a Super Bowl champion — but lost his starting job midway through last season. Still, Woolen will likely be a crucial addition to the Eagles’ secondary as an outside cornerback opposite Quinyon Mitchell, along with Cooper DeJean. He could also be a valuable replacement for veteran cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, a pending free agent.

So far in free agency, Woolen has been Howie Roseman’s biggest addition. Here are five things to know about Woolen as he joins the Eagles …

One of Woolen’s most promising qualities as a free agent was his role on a formidable Seahawks defense last season, nicknamed “The Dark Side.”

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During the 2025 season, he earned seven starts for the Seahawks. After Week 10, however, Woolen began to rotate in with former Eagle Josh Jobe, and did not start in the playoffs. He finished the season with 41 total tackles, including 33 solo tackles, and one interception.

He also recorded four solo tackles as the Seahawks defeated the Patriots, 29-13, in Super Bowl LX.

Woolen, 27, should bring energy to a young Eagles secondary that also features third-year starters Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Like Mitchell, Woolen likes to talk trash, although he has been known to get carried away at times, drawing a league-high three taunting penalties last season.

One particularly costly instance came in the third quarter of the NFC championship game against the Los Angeles Rams. Woolen was flagged for taunting when he trash-talked the Rams bench after forcing them to punt with a pass breakup on third down. Worse, he allowed Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, who was the intended receiver on the previous pass breakup, to score on the very next play.

Woolen was fined $17,398 for the incident, but the Seahawks still won the game — and the Super Bowl.

NFL analyst Ross Tucker, who was on the sideline for that Seahawks-Rams game in January, shared more details on the incident on 94 WIP Wednesday, and it didn’t sound good for Woolen.

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“The ref, in his head, is like, ‘This guy has got to be kidding me.’ And he throws the flag,” Tucker recalled, after explaining how the official tried to warn Woolen and didn’t appear to want to give him a penalty. “He goes over to the Seahawks sideline, and they are yelling — his own teammates are yelling at him. …

“They do not like him in Seattle. They are so glad he’s gone. Not only did he lead the NFL in taunting penalties last year, he had more taunting penalties than any other team. … He is a very talented knucklehead that, because he’s a knucklehead, got beat out by Josh Jobe.”

Woolen’s breakout rookie season with the Seahawks ended with a Pro Bowl selection, the only of his career so far.

In that 2022 season, Woolen notched a league-high six interceptions and was a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year. He also scored his only NFL touchdown with a 40-yard pick-six against the Lions that year.

His rookie campaign followed an impressive performance at the NFL scouting combine, in which Woolen showed off his unique combination of speed and size. He ran the 40-yard dash in just 4.26 seconds, placing the 6-foot-4, 210-pound cornerback in the 99th percentile.

A native of Fort Worth, Woolen spent his college career at the University of Texas, San Antonio. But with his advantageous height and athleticism, Woolen was capable of playing multiple positions.

After redshirting his first year at UTSA, Woolen played wide receiver during his first two seasons on the field, collecting 24 catches for 263 yards and a touchdown. But midway through his redshirt sophomore year, Woolen started to shift toward the cornerback position. He surged at cornerback as redshirt junior, fully switching from offense to defense.

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In February, a banner went up in the Como neighborhood of Fort Worth, where Woolen grew up. It celebrated Woolen and Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams, who formerly played for the Eagles from 2021 to 2025 and is also from the area, as they faced off in Super Bowl LX.

Woolen has remained close to the Como community through his pro career. His father, Jerome, coached both him and Williams when they began playing football. Riq and Jerome Woolen, along with his mother, Nola Davis, stood together on the field in Santa Clara, Calif., as the Seahawks celebrated their Super Bowl LX victory.