Tariq Woolen Unlikely to be Traded from Seahawks, per NFL Insider
NFL trade rumors are flying around at a rapid clip, and one Seattle Seahawks player has been mentioned quite frequently as a trade candidate.
Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen has been a mainstay in NFL trade rumors for most of the season. With the trade deadline coming up on November 4, there’s a chance Woolen’s days in the Pacific Northwest are numbered.
However, it seems like those rumors will not lead to anything, at least according to NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo.
Garafolo Says it is ‘More Likely Than Not’ that Woolen Remains in Seattle
A lot can happen over the next few days, but Garafolo does not see any movement with Tariq Woolen.
Not only that, but he also thinks that Woolen could be a key building block for Seattle in the years to come.
From @NFLGameDay Kickoff on the pending trade deadline, with the #Giants telling teams Thibo-no on Kayvon, the #Seahawks more likely to hang on to CB Riq Woolen than trade him and WR Jakobi Meyers still waiting out his trade request with the #Raiders.
Garafolo saying that the Seahawks want Woolen “in their long-term plans,” certainly indicates that the team isn’t rushing to deal him at the first offer.
Could this be Seattle general manager John Schneider trying to muddy the waters in hopes of a better trade offer?
Maybe, but Garafolo probably doesn’t mention anything about long-term plans on national TV if that were the case.
Why is Tariq Woolen Even in Trade Rumors?
Most NFL fans would consider Woolen to be a pretty good cornerback, and for the most part, that is true.
The former UTSA Roadrunner rose to prominence at the 2022 NFL combine when he ran a blazing 4.26-second 40-yard dash. Despite showing that elite speed, Woolen still fell to the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, where he was selected by the Seahawks.
He showed why he was under drafted as a rookie. Woolen had six interceptions in his rookie season and flashed the potential to be a lockdown cornerback. After a Pro Bowl appearance and tying the league lead for interceptions as a rookie, it seemed like the sky was the limit for Woolen.
Well, since then he hasn’t quite lived up to the potential. To be clear, Woolen has been good cornerback, but he hasn’t reached a Pro Bowl again and only has five interceptions in the last three seasons.
Beyond that, his tackling in run support has sometimes left a lot to be desired and there were times when it seemed like he wasn’t fully focused on the game.
Those were issues in the last two seasons, but trade rumors about Woolen picked up steam in the first part of the 2025 season.
Fan frustration grew loud after he misplayed a pass against San Francisco 49ers tight end Jake Tonges in Week 1. That score ended up being the difference in a 17-13 Seahawks loss. Woolen also had some untimely penalties in Seattle’s 23-20 Week 4 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Recent games have seen fewer Woolen mistakes, though. His speed still blankets opposing wide receivers and he has been a fairly stable fixture in Seattle’s defense.
Woolen, a free agent this offseason, has a lot to play for in the remainder of the season. As of now, it looks like he will finish out the year on the Seahawks.
Ex-Celtics Guard Hires Trump Lawyer to Fight NBA Gambling Charges
Former Boston Celtics guard and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups has hired one of the nation’s most prominent defense attorneys to battle federal gambling charges that have rocked the NBA — and tied three former Celtics to the league’s biggest integrity scandal in years.
According to The Athletic, Billups has hired Marc Mukasey, a high-profile trial lawyer who has represented former U.S. President Donald Trump, to handle his defense against wire-fraud and money-laundering conspiracy charges.
Billups Turns to Prominent White-Collar Defense Attorney
Mukasey, a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York and the son of ex-U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey, is widely regarded as one of America’s top courtroom strategists in financial and corporate cases.
According to The Athletic report, Mukasey previously defended Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, who was acquitted of murder in 2019, and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried during sentencing in his multibillion-dollar fraud case. Mukasey also served as a legal adviser to Rudy Giuliani’s 2007 presidential campaign and represented Joe Sanberg, co-founder of fintech firm Aspiration, in an NBA-related salary-cap case involving Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers. Sanberg later pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud after admitting to defrauding investors of $248 million.
Now, Mukasey is representing Billups — the 2004 NBA Finals MVP and current Portland Trail Blazers head coach — as he faces potentially career-defining criminal charges.
Federal Allegations and Celtics Connection
In the indictments reviewed by
The 49-year-old coach, arrested in Oregon, has been placed on administrative leave by the Trail Blazers while the case proceeds. His former attorney, Chris Heywood, said last week that Billups “would not jeopardize” his Hall-of-Fame legacy, his reputation and freedom.
Two other former Celtics — Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player Damon Jones — are also implicated in the widening probe. Prosecutors allege Rozier shared private injury information with a friend who then profited from insider bets, while Jones allegedly helped facilitate the illegal gambling ring.
From Boston Lottery Pick to Hall of Fame Player
Getty 25 Jun 1997: Guard Chauncey Billups of the Boston Celtics shakes hands with NBA Commissioner David Stern during the NBA Draft at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Billups began his NBA career in Boston, drafted third overall by the Celtics in 1997, before going on to win a championship with the Detroit Pistons and earning the nickname “Mr. Big Shot.” He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield in 2024, a crowning moment for one of the league’s most respected figures.
Rozier, beloved by Celtics fans from 2015 to 2019, helped Boston reach the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals, while Jones had a brief stint with the franchise during the 1998–99 season. Their shared ties to Boston have given the scandal an unsettling familiarity for local fans.
Badminton Betting Ban Mirrors NBA Investigation
The NBA’s ongoing gambling scandal comes as other global sports face similar integrity challenges. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) recently banned former Danish player and coach Joachim Persson for four years after he was filmed placing live bets courtside during a 2023 Japan Open match, according to
The similarities between the two cases are striking. Both involve allegations that individuals used insider access and confidential information for betting purposes. The incidents highlight the mounting challenge of maintaining sports integrity amid the rapid expansion of legalized gambling worldwide.
A Hall-of-Fame Legacy Under Scrutiny
For Billups, who spent part of his formative NBA years in Boston, the charges threaten to overshadow a Hall-of-Fame career defined by leadership and professionalism.
If convicted, Billups could face up to 20 years in prison per count, along with the potential loss of his coaching position and damage to his legacy.
The NBA continues to cooperate with federal authorities as the investigation broadens — with Boston fans watching uneasily as three familiar names fight to protect their reputations.
