Seahawks CB Riq Woolen Linked to Surprising AFC Contender as a Trade Destination
Rumors have been swirling around the Seattle Seahawks and cornerback Riq Woolen. The NFL trade deadline is just five days away, and things are going to heat up quickly. There have been several teams that Woolen has been linked to in the last couple of weeks.
One team that could use some help in the secondary is the New England Patriots. They are off to a surprising 6-2 start and on top in the AFC East. While it would seem like a fit for Woolen with the Patriots, are the Seahawks really shopping him and looking to trade him?
NFL Writer Links Riq Woolen to Patriots
Nicole Yang of the Boston Globe listed some potential trade targets for New England. Wollen was one of the players she listed.
“At cornerback, Tariq Woolen of the Seahawks and the Saints’ Alontae Taylor are possibilities. The 6-foot-4-inch Woolen, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, would provide depth on the boundary and could benefit from a change in scenery. The 26-year-old Taylor has more versatility, able to line up out of the slot or outside,’’ Yang wrote.
The Patriots’ defense ranks near the bottom of the league when it comes to some metrics, according to Ben Volin, also of the Boston Globe. Adding a player like Woolen could help solve some of their struggles.
“Despite having an excellent cover cornerback in Christian Gonzalez and a good one in Carlton Davis, the Patriots rank 25th in net yards per pass attempt (6.6) and have allowed the second-most completions of 20-plus yards in the NFL (28),’’ wrote Volin.
“There is room for improvement on passes that travel at least 21 air yards. The Patriots have allowed completions on 12 of 21 attempts for a 57.1 percent completion rate that ranks 31st. Those completions have gone for 365 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception for a 121.5 passer rating on deep passes that ranks 28th.’’
Will the Seahawks Trade CB Riq Woolen?
A lot of the mock drafts and trade rumors have a common theme that has popped up around Woolen. It’s that a ‘change in scenery’ is needed. There is no doubt the talent is there for the former UTSA cornerback.
Woolen was named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2022. He had 6 interceptions, tying him for sixth in the NFL that year. This year, in six of the seven Seahawks’ games, he has 19 tackles and three passes defended. He has four picks in his career in the NFL with five fumble recoveries.
It is not a guarantee that Seattle does, in fact, trade Woolen by next Tuesday. They have been dealing with injuries in the secondary and are a legit NFC contender in the playoffs. They are 5-2 heading into Sunday night’s clash with the struggling Washington Commanders and in the thick of the NFC West race.
On the flip side, dealing Woolen would get Seattle a decent return. It’s not guaranteed he’s brought back next year if he finishes the season with the Seahawks. There are a lot of teams looking for cornerback help this season. This might be the time for Mike Macdonald and the front office to move on from him.
Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell Sparks Speculation About J.J. McCarthy Amid Decision
Sometimes guarded answers lead to more questions, and Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell invited speculation with his latest comments about the team’s quarterback situation and, specifically, J.J. McCarthy.
The team has already ruled McCarthy out for Week 4.
The Vikings turned to Carson Wentz in Week 3, beating the Cincinnati Bengals. Wentz’s performance has sparked questions on whether the Vikings will turn back to McCarthy.
J.J. McCarthy Question Remains
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up against the Atlanta Falcons.
O’Connell addressed the media on Monday, and he was asked directly if he and the Vikings are “100% committed” to McCarthy once the No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 draft returns from the ankle injury that knocked him out of Week 3.
The coach initially said, “Yeah,” before continuing to explain the process of what McCarthy’s eventual return entails.
“Yeah, I think – first and foremost, he’s got to get healthy. And then, throughout that process, it’s not just – I don’t think it’s one of those things where it’s, hey, the day he’s healthy, and if he’s healthy the night before a game, we’re going to just throw him out there and say, ‘Hey, go figure it out’ type of thing. I think we saw, as phenomenal as he was getting prepared for the Atlanta game, he did miss practice that week,” O’Connell told reporters on September 22.
“When you’re in the phasing of building up the 10,000 reps and 10,000 hours of what it takes to play the position at a very high level, which we know J.J. McCarthy is going to do, you can’t cut corners on that. And that also doesn’t require an answer on that question today.”
Some fans hung onto the lack of a definitive “yes” when presented with the portion of O’Connell’s comments about his commitment to McCarthy on Monday. But O’Connell did open his response with a variation of the affirmative.
Whether that was part of the answer or just an acknowledgement of the question presented remains unclear.
Kevin O’Connell Rejects J.J. McCarthy Report Ahead of Vikings’ Trip
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell look on against the Atlanta Falcons.
O’Connell was also asked about a report from CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson on X from September 21 claiming the Vikings planned on having McCarthy return in Week 7, after their bye, to face the Philadelphia Eagles, if not sooner.
“I would not say that’s accurate. I would just say that that probably stems off the conversation of him making the trip with us,” O’Connell said.
“What is accurate is the idea of, no matter how much I believe J.J. would go out there and tough it out today, tomorrow, if we asked him to, to me at this point in a very young career, his mobility is one of his weapons that has clearly already shown to be something that’s a positive for him. So, we want to make sure he’s healthy and allow this to be something that we can put in the rearview mirror and continue on with where he’s at in his young career here.”
A little more on the JJ McCarthy conversation. Speaking with people inside the building they feel really confident about what they have in JJ. Remember this year was supposed to be last year until he got hurt. A year of growth for a rookie QB, So they are a year behind. The…
— Tracy Wolfson (@tracywolfson) September 22, 2025
“We’re going to take it a day at a time,” O’Connell said. “He responded well to treatment early on. He’s out of the boot, and now it just becomes the phase of high ankle kind of rehab that we’re going to hopefully be able to get him back up to speed pretty quickly.”
Vikings QB Situation in Spotlight
GettyCarson Wentz #11 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before a game against the Chicago Bears.
O’Connell’s sentiments do not suggest he is giving up on McCarthy in any way, nor do they suggest the Vikings are concerned about Wentz remaining under center if need be. The injury will keep McCarthy sidelined at least one more week.
Another strong outing from Wentz, whose experience O’Connell said McCarthy could benefit from watching, will only fuel speculation.
The Vikings face the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns overseas in Weeks 4 and 5.
The Eagles are the reigning champions and just showed their mettle in a comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3. That could be all the more reason for the Vikings to continue proceeding with caution regarding McCarthy and stick with Wentz at least one more week.
