The Seattle Seahawks could bring back a cornerback duo in 2025 that would again be considered as potentially being among the better ones in the NFL.
But a decision also looms for Seattle over the next 12 months or so — the future of Riq Woolen.
Woolen is entering the final season of his four-year rookie deal, and for the first time is eligible to ask for an extension.
Seattle, though, may not be ready to commit to Woolen just yet. And if the Seahawks don’t, could that lead to an uncomfortable year with Woolen playing out his rookie deal and then able to hit free agency in 2026?
Or could the Seahawks look to explore trade options?
What we know for sure about the Seahawks cornerback corps in 2025 is that it will be anchored by two-time Pro Bowl pick Devon Witherspoon for one more year playing on his rookie contract before he is also eligible for an extension.
As we continue our postseason review of Seattle’s position groups by looking at the cornerback group.
Cornerbacks
Starters
Devon Witherspoon
Age: 24.
Snaps played in regular season: 1,104, 97.61%, via Pro Football Reference.
Contract situation: Witherspoon will enter the third season of his rookie deal in 2025. That contract can pay him $31.8 million overall and features guaranteed salary of $3.6 million in 2025.
Riq Woolen
Age: 25.
Snaps played in regular season: 890, 78.69%.
Contract situation: As noted, Woolen has one year left on his original rookie deal, signed in 2022 after being taken 153rd overall. It was due to pay him just over $3.9 million combined.
But Woolen has achieved a Proven Performance Escalator for the final year of his rookie contract for having been a Pro Bowl pick on the initial ballot in 2022.
OvertheCap.com estimates that will bump his salary in 2025 from an original $1.1 million to $5.217 million, giving him a $5.3 million cap hit. That $5.217 million can be saved against the cap if he is cut or traded either pre- or post-June 1.
Backups
Tre Brown
Age: 27.
Snaps played in regular season: 290, 25.64%.
Contract situation: Brown is now an unrestricted free agent after playing out his four-year rookie contract that paid him $4.12 million.
Josh Jobe
Age: 26.
Snaps played in regular season: 443, 39.17%.
Contract situation: Jobe is now a restricted rights free agent, which means he can negotiate with other teams but the Seahawks can place a tender on him that guarantees the right to match or get compensation if he signs elsewhere. Teams can also sign restricted free agents to normal deals at any time.
Nehemiah Pritchett
Age: 23.
Snaps played in regular season: 151, 13.35%.
Contract situation: Pritchett has three years remaining on his four-year rookie deal that is worth up to $4.39 million overall, and a non-guaranteed base salary of $960,000 in 2025.
Others who played in 2024: Artie Burns played 51 snaps. The 29-year-old is now an unrestricted free agent.
2024 review
The Seahawks didn’t have to do much of anything with this group following the 2023 season other than hoping both Woolen and Witherspoon could stay healthy for full seasons and each show improvement expected with another year’s experience.
They also hoped Brown could pick up where he left off with an improving 2023 season to play in the nickel packages, and round it out with the likes of Coby Bryant, Michael Jackson, Burns and draftees Pritchett and D.J. James.
With a few surprises along the way, that’s pretty much what happened. With the depth looking good as camp ended, Seattle traded Jackson to Carolina for linebacker Michael Barrett.
They also were able to increasingly use Bryant at safety, which paid off later when injuries hit that position.
Witherspoon was able to play every game, Woolen all but two. Those two were the primary starters as the outside corners, but with Witherspoon then moving inside when the Seahawks brought on an extra defensive back (or two).
Brown, though, struggled early, especially in a loss to the Giants, and when he was knocked out for a few games with an ankle injury, he essentially lost his job to Jobe.
Burns ended up battling a toe injury most of the year and played little, and Pritchett saw a little time when injuries hit.
Witherspoon didn’t have an interception and only one sack — that coming against the Bears in the second-to-last game of the season — which led to questions about what kind of season he was having.
But coach Mike Macdonald noted at every turn that Witherspoon was playing solid run defense and at times was being avoided by other teams, and said he felt his Pro Bowl nod was deserving.
“You watch every play, I mean you can’t help but notice what he does for us on the field,’’ Macdonald said.
His Pro Football Focus numbers, though, also dropped some from his rookie season.
His overall grade fell from 84.1 to 76.1 and coverage from 79.7 to 69.2, though his run defense grade went up from 80.0 to 90.0.
Via PFF, Witherspoon allowed 63 receptions on 89 targets (70.8%) for 575 yards, three TDs and no interceptions for a passer rating allowed of 99.2; that compares to 39 receptions on 68 targets (57.4%) for 369 yards, four TDs and one interception, a rating of 87.6.
Woolen, meanwhile, improved drastically as a run defender (not dealing with the shoulder injury that ailed him much of 2023 surely helped) but again showed some inconsistency in coverage.
Woolen also was benched for the opening series of the Vikings game due to what Macdonald said was a violation of team rules.
In many respects, though, Woolen basically played the same as he has his entire career.
He allowed a receiving percentage of 55.2%, similar to his career mark of 57.4%, and an NFL passer rating of 83.7%, not far off the 82.1% and 73.1% of his first two seasons, allowing six touchdowns (he gave up eight in his first two seasons), with three interceptions (he had eight his first two years) and eight pass breakups (he had 20 his first two seasons).
2025 preview
To reiterate, Seattle doesn’t have to do anything this offseason in regard to Woolen and can simply let him play out his rookie deal — when Woolen will almost double the $2.8 million he has made his first three years combined — and worry about it later.
Still, the Seahawks have generally tried to lock up players they consider as part of their long-term future before they enter their potential walk season.
Which leads to the obvious question of whether that’s how they perceive Woolen.
Macdonald indicated Woolen is squarely in the team’s plans during his end-of-season news conference.
“I thought Riq had a good season,’’ Macdonald said Jan. 7. “I thought he’s really grown as a person and a player. He knows this, but to take his game to the next level is just consistency. Doing it in day-in, day-out, down-in, down-out. But I think he’s a heck of a player. Excited about his future. He’s a fun guy to work with, just a great energy in the building, great energy for our football team. Kind of like a unicorn with his skill set, so he’s a fun guy to work with, and we’re excited about him moving forward.”
Jobe would seem likely to return and Pritchett will be back. Seattle has a decision to make on Brown, who has shown flashes and could be given one more year.
The Seahawks, though, could also explore veteran depth options and maybe in the draft, especially if a move is made with Woolen.