Seahawks cornerback Tariq âRiqâ Woolen said he stayed calm through weeks of speculation about his future in Seattle, telling The Seattle Times columnist Matt Calkins he knew âcertain thingsâ behind the scenes and âwasnât really worriedâ about being moved before Tuesdayâs NFL trade deadline.
The fourth-year corner, who lost his starting spot to Josh Jobe in recent weeks, turned in his best performance of 2025 in Seattleâs 38â14 win at Washington on Sunday night. When Jobe left with a concussion, Woolen logged most of the defensive snaps and responded with an 82.7 Pro Football Focus grade â second-highest among Seahawks defenders that night, per Calkinsâ report.
âHonestly itâs crazy, because that whole [trade rumor] thing was happening for five, six weeks, and nobody ever asked me a question about it till now,â Woolen told Calkins in a column published on November 6. âItâs interesting. ⦠I knew certain things that were happening behind the scenes, so I wasnât really worried.âÂ
Head coach Mike Macdonald praised Woolenâs recent stack of practices and back-to-back strong weeks, noting the game plan changed once Jobe exited. Macdonald added that Woolenâs preparation and confidence showed up in how fast he played.
Tariq Woolen Says He Knew âCertain Thingsâ Behind the Scenes
GettyTariq Woolen may have fallen out of favor in the starting lineup, but has steadily improved his play over the course of the season.
Trade chatter swirled around Woolen for more than a month as his snap count shrank and his role shifted to sub-packages. With no extension in place as he plays out the final season of his rookie deal, the possibility of a move felt real from the outside. Inside the building, Woolen insisted he kept his head down.
âI really donât care,â Woolen told the Seattle Times when asked if he wanted to address the speculation. âIt just went with what everybody else was saying in the media. I mean, adjustments are going to come in this business for everybody; they just come in different ways. Sometimes your name may come up in trade rumors, but I knew certain things that were happening behind the scenes, so I wasnât really worried.âÂ
The 6-foot-4 corner added that his motivation wasnât about proving rumor-mill critics wrong â it was about playing his game.
âI just wanted to go play ball,â he said. âI know Iâm a great player⦠I just did what was best for my situation and just continue to come in, continue to work, continue to be myself.âÂ
From Early-Season Struggles to a Timely Rebound
GettyWhen Tariq Woolen is right, and the Seattle defense is healthy, the unit has shown it can be elite.
The renewed momentum comes after a rocky opener in which Brock Purdy hit Ricky Pearsall for 45 yards and later found tight end Jake Tonges for the go-ahead score on Woolenâs side â evidence, Calkins wrote, that NFL offenses had adjusted to the ball-hawking corner who led the league with six interceptions as a rookie.
Losing the starting job to Jobe could have dented confidence. Instead, Woolen emphasized being a pro and a teammate.
âHonestly, just being a great teammate,â Woolen told Calkins of Jobe taking his spot. âJust like how when I was starting or whatever, he was a great teammate for me. I still know I was going to play ball. Iâm too great of a player not to play.âÂ
On Sunday, opportunity met preparation. Seattle opened with plenty of dime looks to get six defensive backs on the field. After Jobeâs concussion, Woolen stayed out there and delivered his most complete outing of the season, per the PFF grading cited by The Seattle Times. Macdonald said the staff even asked Woolen to handle looks they hadnât emphasized in practice that week â and he handled them with speed and confidence.
If that form holds, Woolen could be headed back toward a starting role. For now, the Seahawks benefit from a reinvigorated, long, and explosive cover man who appears locked back in on technique and landmarks in Macdonaldâs scheme.
What It Means for Seattleâs Secondary
Seattle has tried different combinations across the back end while Macdonald and defensive backs coach Karl Scott install and iterate on structure and rules. Devon Witherspoon remains the tone-setter, while Jobeâs status will hinge on the concussion protocol this week. A resurgent Woolen gives Seattle an enviable mix of length and closing speed on the perimeter â and the depth to stay heavy in dime when matchups demand it.
Big picture: Woolenâs comments point to a player unaffected by noise and focused on execution. The Seahawks donât need him to chase rookie-year interception totals; they need leverage, eye discipline and timely plays on the ball. Sunday was a step in that direction â and a reminder of how dangerous this secondary can be when Woolen plays within structure and lets his traits take over late in routes.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Seahawks’ Tariq Woolen Finally Addresses Rampant Trade Rumors appeared first on Heavy Sports.