Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen’s costly taunting penalty nearly cost Seattle NFC Championship game against Los Angeles Rams

Brady Henderson, ESPN’s Seahawks reporter, shared a written statement from his interview with NFL Referee Clay Martin about Riq Woolen’s taunting penalty on X.

When asked what prompted the penalty, Martin explained, “The covering official had him walking towards and into the opponent’s bench, continuing to jaw after repeated efforts by the official to have him turn away and go to his own bench. When he chose not to do so, that’s what rose to the level of a foul.”

When asked if Woolen said anything specific, Martin responded, “No, just continued jawing in the opponent’s bench area after being asked to walk away.”

Riq Woolen’s taunting penalty led to Puka Nacua’s touchdown

The Seattle Seahawks trailed 31-20 against the Los Angeles Rams. Los Angeles was looking for a way to disrupt Seattle’s rhythm, and they found it when Seahawks cornerback Tariq “Riq” Woolen almost gave them a chance in the third quarter.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a deep shot pass to wide receiver Puka Nacua on third-and-12. Woolen was covering Nacua. Color commentator Tom Brady said after the play that it should have “easily been an interception” by Woolen, but the pass fell incomplete. Woolen broke up a pass intended for Nacua.

The play could have ended there, but the cornerback drew a 15-yard penalty for taunting. The NFL official already explained why the flag was thrown.

The Athletic’s Saad Yousaf reported that Woolen was near the opposing sideline when he began talking toward Rams’ personnel. The cornerback crossed in front of a referee, who waved him to move on. Woolen persisted and walked back toward the Los Angeles sideline, still jawing in that direction. That’s when the official threw a flag for taunting. Now, why was it costly?

The Rams got a fresh set of downs. On first-and-10 from the Seattle 34-yard line, Matthew Stafford went deep down the left sideline to Puka Nacua, who was again covered by Woolen. This time, Nacua beat the cornerback by a few yards and caught the pass, falling backward into the endzone.

The Seahawks held a commanding 31-20 lead, but the Rams disrupted the rhythm after Nacua’s touchdown, making it 31-27. The Seahawks did not lose hope. They held onto their lead and triumphed over the Rams. They have advanced to the Super Bowl, where they will face the Drake Maye-led New England Patriots on Feb. 8, 2026.

Tariq Woolen apologizes on X

The 26-year-old UTSA alumnus shared a Mort meme. The character is from the animated movie Madagascar. Mort is a tiny, cute, dedicated mouse lemur known for his big, tearful eyes and long, fluffy tail. He is known for his innocence and occasional annoyance. In Woolen’s meme, Mort says, “I’m sorry. Do you still love me??”

The cornerback captioned the X post: “[Tagging the NFL and Seahawks], no more taunting penalties.” He added in the comments, “No cap high intense game and when you in the zone and ballin with your bros sometimes you black out [laughing face emoji].”


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