Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) breaks up a pass intended for Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor (83) during the first half at Lumen Field. Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Seattle Seahawks star Riq Woolen predicted to sign massive contract extension

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 9:13 AM ET

The front office for the Seattle Seahawks took care of a major order of business earlier this week when they signed right tackle Abe Lucas to a three-year contract extension. The deal averages $15 million per year, which will amount to a pretty team-friendly deal so long as Lucas' knee holds up.

Odds are that's the last extension Seattle will announce anytime soon, as the regular season is set to begin tomorrow. If they were planning to announce another major contract the Seahawks likely would have done it at the same time as Lucas'. There are at least five other players who have a case for a new deal, though.

The biggest name in that group belongs to star cornerback Riq Woolen, who's about to enter the final year of his rookie contract. According to Kristopher Knox at Bleacher Report, Woolen will end up signing a new deal somewhere between $22.5 and $30.1 million a year.

B/R on Riq Woolen's next contract

"The price of top-tier cornerbacks is steadily rising and inching near the cost of premium pass-rushers. Sauce Gardner just signed a new market-leading deal worth $30.1 million annually, and Bland's contract comes in at $22.5 million per year. Woolen's price point may already fall between those two deals, and it's likely to keep increasing the longer the Seahawks wait."

If we split the difference that would come out to about $26 million per year for Woolen, which would rank him fourth among cornerbacks in annual salary behind Gardner, Derek Stingley and Jaycee Horn.

Given the inconsistent nature of his performance, there is a case to let Woolen play out the entire 2025 season before hammering out a new deal. Howeve, that risks the possibility of allowing Woolen to walk in free agency, which is something the Seahawks have to avoid at all costs.

That means the window for a new deal should be sometime between now and the trade deadline. If the Seahawks can lock Woolen up with a long-term contract before then, all the better. If not, they might want to consider selling high on Woolen and trading him now before he has a chance to test the market, potentially losing Seattle a high-end defender and getting nothing in return.

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

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