The 4th-year cornerback is in the final year of his contract. He’s playing on amid injuries across Seattle’s starting secondary.
Riq Woolen gets another chance. It’s coming in a similar way to how he’s gotten his last couple.
“Shoot, just continue to play ball and be myself,” Woolen said Friday.
After his latest penalties and big pass plays at him last week in Arizona, Woolen almost assuredly will start again Sunday when the Seahawks (3-1) host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lumen Field (1:05 p.m., CBS television, KIRO channel 7 locally).
That’s because Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon is going to miss his third game in four weeks. Witherspoon reinjured his bruised medial collateral knee ligament returning to play last week in Seattle’s win over the Cardinals.
Pro Bowl safety Julian Love will also miss the game Sunday against Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers. He hurt his hamstring against Arizona. It’s the same injury that caused him to miss the Seahawks’ home win over New Orleans two weeks ago.
Those injuries plus late-summer pick-up Derion Kendrick’s strong play as the fifth, nickel cornerback in the slot while Witherspoon has been out make it likely coach Mike Macdonald starts Woolen and Josh Jobe outside at cornerback Sunday, in base defense. Kendrick appears likely to be playing nickel again.
Macdonald said “the process,” not the results and the “noise” that comes from them, is key for Woolen right now. “I’m excited to see him play,” Macdonald said. “He’s got a great opportunity.”
Riq Woolen’s past week
This week began with an online report from the league-owned network “teams are monitoring Pro Bowl CB Riq Woolen as a possible trade target by the deadline,” per sources.
The sources that want that out are as interesting as the news of other teams “monitoring” Woolen. The fourth-year cornerback who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie while tying for the league lead in interceptions in 2022 is in the final year of his contract.
Last week in Arizona, Macdonald took Woolen off the field for six plays and had D’Anthony Bell, up from the practice squad, as a “big nickel” extra defensive back.
Nick Emmanwori is returning Sunday to do that and multiple other roles against the Bucs. The rookie second-round pick will play for the first time since he sustained a high-ankle sprain five plays into his NFL career Sept. 7, in the opener against the 49ers.
Coach Mike Macdonald says S Nick Emmanwori is full go to play Sunday for #Seahawks vs Buccaneers @thenewstribunepic.twitter.com/fAi52HZoVb
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) October 3, 2025
When the Cardinals were frantically trying to rally from down two touchdowns to the Seahawks last week, the deepest passes Kyler Murray threw in the second half were at Woolen.
In the third quarter of what became a last-play win, with Seattle’s defense in command leading 17-3, the fourth-year cornerback lined up man to man across from Marvin Harrison Jr. outside left. Arizona’s top wide receiver ran a simple go route. Murray threw a pass to Harrison’s back shoulder. Woolen was right there, but he never turned his head to see the pass. That 16-yard completion set up a Cardinals field goal.
Later in the quarter Woolen was in press coverage against Michael Wilson outside left. At the snap Wilson simply ran straight past Woolen, whose 4.26-second 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL scouting combine was the fourth-fastest ever and fastest for a player over 6 feet tall. Woolen was about to give up a touchdown. He grabbed Wilson at midfield as the Cardinal zoomed past him. It was an obvious penalty for defensive pass interference.
“Shoot (that) was just based off what I was looking at on film. On the first penalty, I thought he was going to run a ‘dig’ (route short), before I grabbed his hip,” Woolen said Friday. “When he threw the pick to Coby (Bryant, his teammate early in the game) I did the same thing.”
Midway through the fourth quarter with Seattle leading 20-6, Woolen lined up outside left one on one with Xavier Weaver. The Cardinals again targeted that matchup. Arizona’s undrafted rookie wide receiver in 2024 ran a straight go route outside Woolen. Woolen stayed facing the receiver. He never turned to see Murray’s pass coming at him. Woolen also grabbed Weaver on the top of both shoulders as the ball arrived near the goal line. Another pass-interference call.
The Cardinals turned that first down into a touchdown. That cut the lead to 20-13 with 5:50 left, and set up a wild finish. Seattle won on a field goal by Jason Myers on the game’s final play. “I thought (that) was a bad penalty,” Woolen said. “I mean, I turned around, looked for the ball through the player. But I mean, hey, it’s just up to the ref at that point.
“So other than that, we still won. I’m happy. Shoot, on to the next game.”
Riq Woolen’s season
This season through four games Woolen has given up big plays to and committed penalties on the 49ers’ Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco’s third-string tight end, Pittsburgh’s DK Metcalf, and now multiple Cardinals. He’s been penalized six times in four games. That’s the league’s second-most flags against one player; only Kansas City offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor (seven) has more.
Woolen’s fouls: two for pass interference, one for illegal contact, one for holding, one for illegal use of the hands and one face-mask foul, most for first downs.
The plays at Arizona were similar to what Woolen gave up in the opening game Sept. 7 against San Francisco. That included when Jake Tonges, the 49ers’ third tight end, slipped past him and outjumped the 6-foot-4 cornerback in the end zone for the winning touchdown late in the game.
After that game, Macdonald answered whether Woolen will start in week two at Pittsburgh with “we’ll see.”
Then Witherspoon got hurt. He missed the Steelers game. Kendrick replaced Witherspoon at nickel while Woolen started at Pittsburgh. He played well. In the locker room after the game Woolen said: “Bro, I play cornerback, one of the hardest positions there is to play. So I just kept my head down.
“My teammates got all the faith in me. And I’ve got all faith in my teammates. So I’m not worried, at all.”
Last weekend upon the Seahawks’ return home from Arizona, The News Tribune asked Macdonald how Woolen is playing.
“Yeah, look, I think Riq’s...he’s playing really hard,” Macdonald said. “I think maybe he’s pressing a little bit with the situation going on.”
In Pittsburgh three weeks ago, Kendrick intercepted Aaron Rodgers, and dropped a second interception. Then Kendrick intercepted a pass from Spencer Rattler in Seattle’s win over New Orleans in week three. It was the first time in his four NFL seasons the former Rams starter intercepted passes in consecutive games.
Woolen’s next
Witherspoon played every snap on defense last week at Arizona, then had an ice pack on his knee after that game. He hasn’t practiced since.
Woolen has. And well, Macdonald and his cornerback said Friday.
“I feel like I practiced real well,” Woolen said. “Of course, it’s practice, so your going to make little mistakes and stuff like that. But I feel like I practiced real well this week.
“Honestly, shoot, as long as I’m able to play, man, that’s all I’m looking forward to. Shoot, the coaches trust in me to do what I’m supposed to do.
“So I’ve got to go out there and do the best with my opportunity.”
The Seahawks drafted the 6-foot-4 Woolen in the fourth round out of Texas-San Antonio in 2022. It was two months after he ran a 4.26-second 40-yard dash at the league’s scouting combine. That was the fastest combine 40 ever for a player 6-4 or taller. He was a couple years removed from UTSA coaches converting him from wide receiver to cornerback.
Then-coach Pete Carroll made him Seattle’s starting cornerback from week one of his rookie season. He’s been that since, though with three different benching along the way, for poor play and, by Macdonald last season, for one drive after he violated an unspecified team rule.
Macdonald says Woolen, 26, needs to focus on the process of improving rather the results in the meantime.
Woolen agreed with that, to a point.
“Oh, yeah, yeah. For sure,” he said.
“But it’s just human nature, when you’ve got a lot of stuff going on, you start to look at other things. But I’m fine. I still trust the process. I know this is part of my process.
“I know that my journey is different from other guys, and it’s just one part of the journey that it may, or may not, be going in my favor.
“But I’ve still got trust in myself, and faith in myself, and faith in God.”
He knows Mayfield and the Buccaneers are going to target him with passes to rookie first-round pick Emeka Egbuka (from Steilacoom High School and Ohio State) and others Sunday.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba with Seattle love from #Seahawks HQ for former fellow Ohio State Buckeye, Steilacoom High School star Emeka Egbuka.
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) October 2, 2025
Egbuka coming home to play at the Seahawks Sunday at Lumen Field. @thenewstribunepic.twitter.com/TCnxg1vfDN
“I like that, for sure,” Woolen said. “I mean, no corner wants to just get thrown at. But, hey, you throw my way, I love it.
“I ain’t really trippin’ too much. I mean, it gives you a chance to make plays.”
Category: General Sports
