Riq Woolen was at his most Riq Woolen-ness against the Los Angeles Rams in the Seattle Seahawks' NFC Championship victory. Just like in Week 1 when the cornerback nearly singlehandedly got his team beat, Woolen almost did it again versus the Rams.
The score was 31-20 and LA had a 3rd and 12. Quarterback Matthew Stafford dropped back to pass, and Woolen knocked the ball down (nearly intercepting it) from the intended receiver, Puka Nacua. The Rams would have had 4th and 12 and almost certainly would have punted the ball. That didn't happen.
Instead, Woolen jabbed with the Los Angeles sideline for far too long in celebration, and the officials threw a flag. It was a 15-yarder for unsportsmanlike conduct, and it gave Los Angeles a first down. On the next play, Stafford hit Nacua for a touchdown. It was the kind of two-play situation that will almost certainly have the cornerback leave Seattle in free agency.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen shares an awkward handshake with Rams head coach Sean McVay
The team might not want him back. His lack of self-control is frustrating and costly. He comes off as extremely immature.
Was that the case at the end of the game, too? When the final whistle blew, Woolen made a bead for Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay and shook his hand. Sort of. McVay clearly wasn't interested in giving the cornerback his hand. He didn't seemingly want to be anywhere near Woolen.
Maybe the coach was simply miffed how the game had gone, confused by the last play when it wasn't sure if Nacua had made it out of bounds to stop the clock or not (he didn't), or wanted no part of Woolen having a selfie moment that was an insincere attempt to apologize.
Maybe Woolen was simply extending his trash talk to the immediate aftermath of the game. That would be classless, but no one can be sure exactly what the cornerback said. The conversation was quick, and, well...unnecessary.
After all, Riq Woolen is likely to need a new team to play for in 2026 and beyond. He is far too mercurial for a Mike Macdonald-coached defense. The Seattle Seahawks might draft a cornerback to replace Riq Woolen. Or maybe Woolen makes up for his iffy play against the Rams and has a fantastic Super Bowl against the New England Patriots and changes his narrative.