Seahawks CB Riq Woolen’s inconsistent play ‘hard to explain’

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen has had an up-and-down first three seasons in the NFL.

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The 2022 fifth-round pick was a surprise standout as a rookie, even making the Pro Bowl, but his last two seasons have been marked by inconsistency. One of his lowest points came Sunday night, as he made several costly gaffes in Seattle’s 30-13 primetime loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Woolen’s rough performance began on the second play from scrimmage when he committed a roughing-the-passer penalty on a screen pass that aided a Green Bay touchdown drive. Later in the first quarter, Woolen got beat on a slant route by wide receiver Romeo Doubs and couldn’t make the tackle at the 5-yard line, allowing Doubs to power into the end zone for a 13-yard TD reception.

Early in the second quarter, Woolen misplayed a deep sideline pass that resulted in a 36-yard completion to receiver Christian Watson, which keyed a Packers field-goal drive. And in the closing seconds of the first half, Woolen got beat downfield by Doubs and committed a 34-yard pass interference penalty that set up a chip-shot field goal.

According to Pro Football Focus, Woolen allowed three catches on five targets for 54 yards and a TD. He also committed two penalties for a combined 49 yards.

“He just looked off,” Bob Stelton said Monday on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob. “It was just a weird game for him. … He’s shown he can play at this level, at a very high level. But it’s just so uneven that it’s hard to explain.”

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The 6-foot-4 Woolen burst onto the scene out of Texas-San Antonio with his spectacular rookie campaign. With a rare combination of speed, length and athleticism, he tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions that season and finished third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

But after suffering an offseason knee injury in 2023, Woolen experienced a bit of a sophomore setback last year that included him being benched for a late-season game. The biggest issue was his tackling, as he finished with a 20% missed tackle rate and a dismal 37.3 run defense grade, according to PFF.

With an offseason of good health, Woolen looked poised for a bounceback 2024 campaign after drawing rave reviews for his performance in training camp and mid-August joint practices with the Tennessee Titans. And he’s certainly had some highlight-reel moments this year. In Week 1, he raced across the field to make a spectacular interception against Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos. In Week 9, he made a leaping interception on a deep sideline pass against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.

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But that game against the Rams epitomized Woolen’s inconsistent play. In addition to his interception, Woolen gave up two touchdown receptions that afternoon, including a game-winning 39-yard TD catch by Demarcus Robinson in overtime.

“He looks to have all the talent in the world,” Stelton said. “He’s got all the speed in the world. He had a tremendous rookie season. (We) were out here pounding our fists on the table that he wasn’t the defensive rookie of the year and all of that. And last year was a step back, and this year he’s had moments, but it’s so uneven.”

Woolen has two interceptions, 10 pass breakups and a forced fumble this season. According to PFF, he has allowed 347 receiving yards, which ranks about middle-of-the-road among cornerbacks. He has surrendered a 59.3% completion rate, which is in the upper-third of cornerbacks, per PFF.

Woolen’s overall PFF grade ranks 57th among cornerbacks, which is about on par with last year. As a rookie in 2022, he was 31st among cornerbacks in PFF grading.

“It’s really hard to play well your rookie year,” former NFL linebacker Dave Wyman said. “It’s really hard. And also, you’re playing corner – arguably the toughest job in the NFL other than quarterback. … I feel like that just is unheard of that you go out and have that kind of a rookie year playing against some of the finest athletes in the world, and then just all of a sudden just start to kind of go downhill.

“I’m certainly not giving up on him,” Wyman added. “I think that version of him his rookie year is in there somewhere.”

Listen to the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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