Seattle Seahawks Defenders Tariq Woolen, Boye Mafe Listed as Top Free Agents
Through the first 10 weeks of the NFL season, it is clear that the Seattle Seahawks are one of the best teams in the league.
If anything, they have made a strong claim as the most complete team in the league. Seattle is top five in points scored and points allowed per game, has the second-highest point differential in the NFL (+105), and enters Week 11 as the top-ranked team in total DVOA.
This Seahawks squad looks the part of a championship contender. Their impressive roster depth is a big driver behind their success.
Sure, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Sam Darnold grab the headlines, and deservedly so. But Seattle would not be
Most of the Seahawks’ key players are under contract entering 2026. However, two high-level defenders — Tariq Woolen and Boye Mafe — are in line to enter true free agency, and Seattle may not be able to match their highest offers. After all, the NFL is a salary cap league, and teams have to prioritize who to re-sign and who they let walk.
ESPN NFL writers Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler ranked the top 25 upcoming free agents on Nov. 12, and Woolen and Mafe made the list. Here’s what they had to say about each Seahawk defender:
Tariq Woolen is Likely in his Final Season in Seattle
Woolen came in at No. 18 in Bowen and Fowler’s list. The lengthy cornerback is in his fourth season with the Seahawks, and after some rough moments early in the season, his name popped up in trade rumors.
He was never worried about getting shipped out of Seattle, but the noise was out there. One could also argue that he was made expendable when Josh Jobe took his spot as a starting cornerback.
These things lay the bedrock for trade speculation. Add in his incongruent role in the Seahawks’ defensive structure, and it makes sense why he might leave in free agency.
“Woolen’s elite traits and Pro Bowl talent should create a strong market. His two pass breakups Sunday against the Cardinals were a good reminder of that,” Fowler wrote on ESPN.com. “Expect Woolen to hit be available in free agency as opposed to a re-signing with Seattle, which hasn’t been a scheme fit for him under coach Mike Macdonald. But for teams that need man coverage help, he has tremendous upside.”
The speedy Woolen had six interceptions and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2022. He has five interceptions over three seasons since then.
Boye Mafe Could Also Leave the Seahawks This Offseason
Mafe, another member of Seattle’s 2022 draft class, appears like he may not be in Seattle’s future plans.
The sturdy Seahawks linebacker has drawn interest from around the NFL. He is a solid overall outside linebacker and really popped as a pass rusher in 2023 when he had nine sacks.
ESPN ranked Mafe as the 22nd-best upcoming free agent, and Fowler thinks he’ll have a strong market:
“Mafe had interest at the trade deadline. His numbers are down — one sack in 2025 compared to 15 through his first three seasons,” Fowler wrote. “But as one NFL coordinator said, ‘He can win one-on-one in pass rush, he’s strong at the point of attack and versatile enough to drop in coverage.’ Others think he needs to get stronger against the run. The Chiefs were among the teams inquiring last week. Perhaps they will make a move for him in March.”
With such a loaded defensive front already in place in Seattle, Mafe could be the odd man out this offseason.
Broncos HC Sean Payton Delivers Blunt Truth About Chiefs
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on during a game against the Houston Texans.
The Denver Broncos rank fourth in fourth-quarter points per game through 10 weeks this season. However, Broncos head coach Sean Payton is concerned with how his team has performed during the other three frames in games, which rank no better than 15th (1Q).
The Broncos face their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, in Week 11, and Payton has already set the tone for how significant this matchup is.
They have much larger goals, though, and reaching them will require cleaning up their issues.
Sean Payton Triples Down on Chiefs Praise
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on during a game against the Houston Texans.
Payton was again presented with a question about the Chiefs, this time regarding the differences between this year’s team and those of seasons past. There was not much to critique.
That is particularly true with wide receiver Rashee Rice back from a six-game suspension.
“There’s a reason this team has won for a long period of time,” Payton told reporters on November 12. “It’s talent, it’s coaching, it’s a program, it’s a GM, it’s ownership, and that’s where we’re aspiring to go.”
The first thing Payton cited was the Chiefs’ “consistency” through the years. He also noted that they are playing good “complementary football.”
They have been frequent visitors to the red zone this season.
The Chiefs have the third-highest conversion rate on the fifth-most red zone trips, per Pro Football Reference. The Broncos have frequently been lauded for having many, if not all, of the components Payton mentioned for KC.
Putting it all together for a full 60 minutes is their next challenge. A win in Week 11 could vault Payton and the Broncos into another stratosphere mentally.
To get it, they must properly address the issues they have encountered early in games.
Sean Payton Delivers Reality Check for Broncos
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks to his team during a game against the Houston Texans.
Payton and the Broncos are 8-2, atop the AFC West standings, and tied for the best record in the NFL heading into the Chiefs game. The head coach met with the media on Wednesday, and he spoke highly about the team’s ability to emerge victorious in tight contests.
The Broncos are 6-2 in one-score games this season, and their two losses came in Weeks 2 and 3, against the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers, respectively.
However, presented with a question regarding the Broncos’ slow starts, Payton was frank.
“It’s our jobs to, offensively, put ourselves in a position of starting faster. And when I discussed this after the game, there aren’t many times when a game’s over – when you win, even – where you’re fully satisfied. There’s something bugging you. There’s something. And certainly, getting that balance and the time of possession, also to help our defense. And so, I like that this year we’re doing better in these one-score games,” Payton said.
“I think you gained some confidence. And if you tried to pick when did that turn, you might look at Philly. But to go where we want to go, there has to be improvement. And certainly we understand that.”
The Broncos enter this game riding a seven-game win streak. The Chiefs lost in their last outing against the Buffalo Bills before their bye in Week 10.
