Ernest Jones insists Seattle Seahawks' defense still trusts Riq Woolen

There may be no greater gap between two NFL cornerbacks than the one separating Riq Woolen in a normal game and Riq Woolen in a big game. The Seattle Seahawks' star cornerback undeniably has oodles of talent and athleticism that could in theory make him the greatest DB in the game.

However, Woolen has developed a bad habit of disappearing at the worst possible times in the most-important moments for the Seahawks. We witnessed several examples in yesterday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers, including multiple huge completions on the 49ers' go-ahead drive and the touchdown catch that wound up sealing their win.

Woolen should be able to shut down the league's quickest wide receivers and biggest tight ends, but he seemingly keeps on losing focus when it matters the most and giving up big plays.

Despite his ghastly finish to the game, afterwards middle linebacker Ernest Jones IV told reporters that the Seahawks' defense still trusts Woolen to get the job done.

Riq Woolen, who was in position to make a play on that touchdown but could not, also allowed the 45-yard completion to Ricky Pearsall earlier in the drive when he appeared to misjudge the ball.

Here was Ernest Jones IV on Woolen: pic.twitter.com/DkCLOobhvM
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) September 8, 2025

It's nice that Jones still has confidence in his teammate and this is exactly what he's supposed to say. However, it's not his job to gauge Woolen's value as he plays out the final year of his rookie contract. That falls on general manager John Schneider, who has a hell of a difficult decision to make about Woolen's future with the organization.

Sep 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Jake Tonges (88) catches the ball for a touchdown being defended by Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) during the second half at Lumen Field. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

By no means should the Seahawks make their decision about Woolen based on one bad game, but this isn't the first or the second time this has happened.

Woolen is still a well-above average defender with a ceiling very few can match. However, the fact is that the sharpest offensive playcallers around the league have made a habit of targeting him in high-leverage moments - and it keeps on working out in their favor.

Even with all his warts, there's still a case to extend him and it would be a big mistake for the Seahawks to let Woolen walk in free agency next year. That means Schneider has to seriously consider selling high and getting what he can for Woolen before the trade deadline.

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