Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Mike Macdonald Reveals Why Riq Woolen Left Seahawks

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Connor Benintendi | Last updated Mar 30, 2026 3:16 PM ET

Former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason worth $12 million, departing after four seasons with the team that drafted him.

Woolen had become the third cornerback in the Seahawks' defense behind Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe after being a Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2022. As a result, Seattle re-signed Jobe but let Woolen sign elsewhere.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald was asked about Woolen at the NFL annual league meeting, which is held in Phoenix, Arizona, from March 29-31. An Eagles writer asked Macdonald, "What went into letting Riq Woolen go?" per The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar.

Seahawks 'couldn't afford' Woolen's contract

"We didn't let him go," Macdonald responded.

The reporter then asked Macdonald what kind of player the Eagles are getting, which brought the Seahawks head coach's typical blunt response.

"[The Eagles are] getting a great player," Macdonald added, per Dugar. "We love Riq. He’s a great player. Just can’t afford him.”

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Seattle still has $30.045 million in effective cap space for 2026 (which accounts for the incoming draft class), per Over The Cap, meaning they could have afforded Woolen's deal with the Eagles. Macdonald's answer is likely accounting for their future plans that haven't been completed yet, which is why it appears that way currently.

Woolen's cap hit for the Eagles is only $3.408 million in 2026, as Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman tacked four void years onto the one-year deal.

That requires the Eagles to take on dead money, however, which could hamper them in future seasons.

The Seahawks still have to get an extension done for Witherspoon, and that could eat up 2026 cap if it's structured similarly to how general manager John Schneider did Jaxon Smith-Njigba's record four-year, $168.6 million deal.

Additionally, Seattle is already projected to be in the bottom-10 in available cap space heading into 2027, per Over The Cap, which means a multi-year deal for Woolen would've been more challenging to get done. Woolen likely wouldn't have taken a one-year deal with the Seahawks after already playing four seasons there and helping them win a Super Bowl.

Macdonald isn't saying anything shocking here. Even if they viewed Woolen highly, Witherspoon and Jobe are clearly the top-2 in the position group. It does lessen the depth of the defense, but they can potentially fill that hole in the draft.

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This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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