Andrew Buller-Russ
As is often the case, the Philadelphia Eagles were in the headlines frequently throughout the offseason. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman conducted several trades, and while the one we heard about most often was the A.J. Brown move, a bigger impact could be felt from one of the team’s newest acquisitions.
In addition to shipping Brown out, the Eagles also traded for a former Pro Bowl edge rusher in Jonathan Greenard and a Pro Bowl cornerback in Riq Woolen. Both are expected to fill starting roles in Philadelphia, but the latter has received especially high praise as of late.
Riq Woolen Named Eagles’ X-Factor for 2026
Recently, ESPN’s NFL analyst Seth Walder labeled Woolen as the Eagles’ X factor for the upcoming season. While the Seattle Seahawks were willing to let the 6-foot-4, 210-pound cornerback test free agency this offseason, the Eagles were quick to swoop him up, and now he could have a heavy hand in the Eagles’ success or failures in 2026.
“CB Riq Woolen. I’m a Woolen believer. He has the best yards per coverage snap among all cornerbacks with at least 500 coverage snaps over the past four seasons, per NFL Next Gen Stats, but there’s no question opinions are divided on him. He has been benched before and started only seven games (out of 16 played) last season for Seattle. Woolen presents a wide range of outcomes for the Eagles.”
ESPN’s Seth Walder on Riq Woolen
Woolen started 7 of 16 games with the Seahawks last season. He’s recorded at least one interception in all four of his NFL seasons thus far, including a career-high six in his rookie year. Yet, as Walder noted, analysts are all over the place on Woolen, which is part of why he mentioned there are a “wide range of outcomes” for his upcoming season.
One area Woolen will have to try to clean up is being more disciplined with his coverage. He’s also been one of the NFL’s most penalized defenders. Last year, he was called for 11 penalties, including three for taunting. Those types of mistakes won’t fly in Philly either.
Related: Philadelphia Eagles Insider Links Team to Trade for $36M Safety
