With their 37-9 drubbing of the Atlanta Falcons last week, the Seattle Seahawks raised their record to 10-3, stayed in a numerical tie with the Los Angeles Rams for first place in the NFC West and best record in the conference (though the Rams currently own the tiebreaker), and suddenly became in the eyes of football experts a âlegitimate Super Bowl threat.â
One of the many factors in the Seahawks’ run, winning seven of their last eight games â the Rams loss being the only blemish â has been the resurgence of fourth-year cornerback Tariq “Riq” Woolen. The 2022 fifth-round draft pick out of Texas-San Antonio was a rookie sensation, leading the NFL with six interceptions, earning a Pro Bowl spot placing third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Since then, Woolen’s performance has slipped, to the point where earlier this year the 26-year-old faced calls to simply cut him from Seattle’s roster, or at least trade him away. But according to FanSided Seahawks analyst Todd Vandenberg, “he’s made a remarkable turnaround….To my mind, the resurrection of Riq Woolen is complete.”
None of that mattered to the NFL office, however, which made sure that Woolen would pay for his newfound sense of fight. On Saturday, the NFL announced that it was slapping the former Pro Bowl pick with his second fine in six weeks for the same offense â taunting.
Repeat Offense Carries Escalated Fine
In the Seahawks’ Week 14 game against the Falcons, Woolen was flagged for a play on a three-yard pass at 7:02 in the fourth quarter from Atlanta quarterback Kirk Cousins to tight end and 2021 first-round draft pick Kyle Pitts.
Woolen made the hit on Pitts after the reception and stood over him, apparently saying something to the fallen pass-catcher as he lay on the turf.
The taunt drew a flag on the field and a 15-yard penalty. The Seahawks had the game well in hand by what turned out to be the final score of 37-9 at that point, so the penalty was not consequential to the outcome.
But it was consequential to Woolen, who was smacked down by the NFL with a fine of $17,389.
Second Offense Draws Increased Fine
After Woolen was also fined taunting in Seattle’s Week 9 game against the Washington Commanders , last week’s transgression counted as a second offense, which under rules governed by the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement carries an increased fine.
Woolen’s initial taunting penalty, after he tackled Washington running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt and then had something extra to say, cost him $11,593.
That means Woolen has now paid $28,982 of his $5.3 million salary this year toward NFL fines.
Woolen was one of two Seahawks players fined for actions in the Falcons game. Defensive end Mike Morris was assessed $6,170 for a late hit on Cousins that occurred on the third play of the same drive, with 7:56 on the clock.
In all, the NFL handed out 17 fines for plays that took place in Week 14, out of the 2,258 plays in all games that week. That means 0.75% of all plays drew a fine.
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