The Tariq Woolen market has moved fast. Three potential suitors have already moved on by signing other cornerbacks. The Giants signed Greg Newsome, the Jets added Nashon Wright and the Rams overhauled their secondary with Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson.
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— Tariq Woolen (@_Tariqwoolen) March 10, 2026
Three more teams remain as realistic fits: the San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Dallas Cowboys.
PFF tells a tale of two different players over the past few years. In his first two seasons, Woolen earned a 79.0 coverage grade with 20 pass breakups, the sixth-most among all corners. During that span, he also gave up a 76.3 passer rating when targeted, the fifth-lowest among corners with 1,000-plus coverage snaps.
But since 2024, that grade has fallen to 65.2 and his passer rating allowed has climbed to 89.2. He has been benched multiple times and was a recurring trade candidate in his final two seasons in Seattle.
Why Woolen Is Still A Coveted Free Agent
What keeps him interesting is what happened underneath that alleged decline.
Woolen still has rare size and speed for a cornerback and some of his underlying metrics still show a cornerback at the top of his game.
In 2025, Woolen allowed just 4.8 yards per target, the best mark of his career, to go along with a 54.5% completion rate when targeted. His average depth of target dropped to 9.3 yards, suggesting that he played solid, tight coverage while being beaten on shorter routes, underneath assignments.
Spotrac projects his next deal at around $8.2 million per year — reasonable money for a team willing to bet on the 79.0-grade version showing back up in the right environment.
Top Free Agency Landing Spots
Let’s break down the fit for Woolen among his top free agency landing spots.
San Francisco 49ers
Multiple league executives told The Athletic they expect the 49ers to pursue Woolen, and nothing in the first wave of free agency changes that.
Renardo Green graded 86th among qualified corners in 2025 despite playing 92% of San Francisco’s defensive snaps. While he was a starter by volume, it turns out his performance was a major liability.
Deommodore Lenoir is a quality CB2 but struggled when he was asked to carry the CB1 role.
The 49ers just signed Mike Evans, a sign that Kyle Shanahan is done waiting.
San Francisco is gearing up to win now and adding Woolen gives the defense a much-needed boost in the secondary. Woolen’s length and ability to excel in man coverage would be exactly what new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to dial up the pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
This is the landing spot with the most reported smoke, and the most coherent football logic to match it.
Philadelphia Eagles
What makes Philadelphia the most intriguing fit isn’t the need, it’s the system.
Vic Fangio has spent his career turning high-upside corners into functional starters by eliminating the decisions that get them beat. He doesn’t frequently put his corners on an island or leave them exposed in single-high looks without safety support.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson cleans up mistakes. A pass rush that ranked fourth in pressure rate last season shortens routes before they develop. Everything about Fangio’s infrastructure is designed to suppress the 65.2-grade version of Woolen and surface the 79.0 one.
The CB2 hole got even bigger when Adoree Jackson departed in free agency and Jaire Alexander retired without playing a snap in Philadelphia. The secondary took another hit when Reed Blankenship departed to the Texans early in the free agency period.
In Philadelphia, Woolen could slide into the CB2 spot or be converted to safety, where he has the size, speed, and tackling ability to remain a difference maker as he ages.
Dallas Cowboys
Dallas has arguably the most desperate need at cornerback. DaRon Bland is expected to be ready for OTAs after suffering a late-season foot injury. Trevon Diggs is gone but the rest of the Cowboys’ defense appears to be shaping up nicely.
Dallas ranked last in the NFL in scoring defense and passing yards allowed in 2025. That performance cost Eberflus his job and brought in new DC Christian Parker. Two first-round picks in 2026 will help, but putting the Cowboys Super Bowl hopes in the hands of a rookie corner is a lot to ask.
Parker needs a starting corner now, and Woolen fits the profile he’d want: physical, experienced in press coverage, and available at a price that doesn’t require Dallas to compromise its offseason plan.
Jones has said he’s ready to open his wallet in free agency. If Woolen is willing to price himself toward the lower end of his range in exchange for a clear starting role and a chance to rebuild his reputation, Dallas is a genuine threat to close this quickly.
