There are few, if any teams in the NFL that have had more injury issue than the Detroit Lions since last season.
The Lions were ridiculously banged-up in 2024, and while things have been a bit better for Detroit in 2025, the team’s cornerbacks room in particular has been ravaged by injury issues.
D.J. Reed is on injured reserve with a hamstring issue, Terrion Arnold is dealing with a shoulder injury, and even their backups haven’t been able to stay healthy.
According to a report from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Lions are looking to add to their cornerbacks room at the deadline, as they should be.
Knowing that, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox predicts the Lions will strike a deal with the Seattle Seahawks for cornerback Riq Woolen.
Detroit might be the team most desperate to add a corner, given the rash of injuries in its secondary—the defense relied almost exclusively on backups on the back end in Week 7. The Lions, who ere on bye in Week 8, are also more sensible trade partners for the Seahawks than the Rams or Ravens.
Seattle probably won’t want to deal with a division rival. If Woolen isn’t a fit for Macdonald’s defense, he probably won’t be an ideal fit for Zach Orr, who inherited Baltimore’s defense from Macdonald and uses many similar concepts.
Prediction: The Lions trade for Woolen at the trade deadline.
Both ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport have reported that Woolen is expected to be available at the deadline, so he’s a realistic trade target Detroit can explore.
“They’ve been wanting to move him for a while,” an unnamed executive said of the Seahawks and Woolen to the ESPN insider. “He doesn’t fit what [head coach Mike Macdonald] wants to do.”
“With Seahawks star CB Devon Witherspoon returning on Thursday, teams are monitoring Pro Bowl CB Riq Woolen as a possible trade target by the deadline, sources tell The Insiders,” Rapoport reported in September.
“Woolen’s playing time has diminished, and in a contract year, teams believe he could be available,” Rapoport added.
A former Pro Bowler, Woolen has proven himself to be a capable starter over three-plus seasons in the NFL. Through 54 career games (52 starts), Woolen has given up a completion rate of 54.5% and a passer rating of 71.6.
To compare, Amik Robertson, who is currently starting on the boundary because of the injuries to Reed and Arnold, has surrendered a completion rate of 61.7% and a passer rating of 98.4 during his career.
Woolen would offer a strong starting option for Detroit on the boundary in the short term, and a valuable depth piece after Arnold and Reed are healthy.
Typically, the fact that Woolen is on the final year of his contract might be seen as a down side, but it’s perfect for the Lions, who have a tight salary cap situation over the next few years and can’t afford to make any more commitments beyond this season.
When it comes to compensation, we could see Woolen fetching a fourth-round pick. At that price, it would be well worth it for the Lions to acquire the veteran to shore up their shaky situation at cornerback in preparation for a run at the Super Bowl.
