Seattle, WA

Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks ‘Expecting Big Things’ From Riq Woolen

Published

2 years ago

May 28, 2024

Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks ‘Expecting Big Things’ From Riq Woolen

RENTON, Wash. – Just one year ago, Riq Woolen’s sophomore season with the Seattle Seahawks got off to a rocky start, as he suffered an unusual knee injury between plays early in OTAs.

Trying to play through the discomfort, Woolen wound up sitting down on the practice field during the next rep knowing something wasn’t right. Only a few days later, he traveled to Texas and underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, which caused him to miss the rest of OTAs and the beginning of training camp on the PUP list before being activated in August.

After missing most of the offseason, Woolen wasn’t able to come close to recapturing his Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist form in 2023, seeing his production dip across the board. He finished with 10 fewer tackles and four fewer interceptions after tying for the league lead as a rookie, failing to make the Pro Bowl and struggling to finish tackles, at one point getting benched in favor of veteran Mike Jackson late in the season.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) brings in a pass as Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) defends during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA

Now healthy following a disappointing second year, at least by the lofty expectations he set for himself as a rookie, Woolen has an extra hop in his step at Seattle’s OTA practices this year. Entrenched at the right cornerback spot with the first-team defense next to rising star Devon Witherspoon, new coach Mike Macdonald loves what he’s seen from the long, athletic defender thus far and he’s holding him to a different standard with hopes of bringing out his best in 2024.

“I think Tariq is in a great spot. Great spot,” Macdonald told reporters after Seattle’s first open OTA session. “We had a great conversation today. Expecting big things from him, just like everyone else on the defense and on the rest of the team. We’re going to be pushing them because there is greatness in there.”

Looking back at last season, Woolen’s lack of ball production stood out first and foremost, as he failed to capitalize on his opportunities to create turnovers. Unlike his rookie season where he seemed to pick off everything in his zip code, per Pro Football Focus, he tied for second in the NFL among cornerbacks with three dropped interceptions, letting several potential interceptions bounce off of his chest or hands and leading to frustration from the player.

To the chagrin of former coach Pete Carroll and his staff, Woolen also took a step back as tackler, often seeming to make business decisions when presented with the chance to make a play in the run game. Receiving a dismal 37.3 run defense grade from PFF, he tied for the league lead among corners with 10 missed tackles and posted a league-worst 50 percent missed tackle rate.

Dealing with a shoulder issue that bugged him for much of the season after exiting early in a Week 2 win over the Lions, the Seahawks benched Woolen early in a home loss to the 49ers on Thanksgiving, with Carroll telling reporters he wasn’t healthy enough to do his job. A few weeks later, Jackson stepped in for him in the starting lineup, with the coach again referencing his health as the reason for his benching.

In Woolen’s defense, if he was dealing with a bum shoulder and didn’t have proper time to heal in the middle of a season, that would have made tackling a far more difficult endeavor and it certainly would have been painful. Still, it was clear Carroll was irked by his poor performance against the run, and Jackson played well in his stead.

From a big picture standpoint, however, while Woolen didn’t come close to repeating his fantastic rookie season, there’s reason for optimism that he can rebound heading towards 2024 and beyond by looking deeper into his numbers from a year ago.

In coverage, even with just two interceptions after tying for the league lead in 2022, Woolen nearly equaled his rookie production with nine pass breakups and cut receiving yardage allowed from 549 to 391. Per PFF charting, he ranked in the top-10 among corners in yards allowed per reception (9.5), forced incompletion percentage (18 percent), and pass breakups. He also improved in the touchdown department, giving up only three in coverage after surrendering five as a rookie.

Playing in Macdonald’s aggressive scheme, Woolen’s ability to press receivers and take away the deep ball with sub-4.30 speed should make him an ideal candidate to thrive on the boundary. Being healthy will work wonders as well, as being on the field in OTAs should ensure he has the proper on-field time to master a new defense and develop chemistry with new teammates such as safeties Rayshawn Jenkins and K’Von Wallace.

Of course, Woolen will have to show marked improvements as a tackler, or as Carroll did a year ago, Seattle may have to turn to another option such as Jackson or Tre Brown if he can’t demonstrate progress as a run defender and exhibit the mental toughness the new staff demands. The team also invested a pair of day three draft picks in Auburn cornerbacks Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James, further bolstering the position to help turn up the heat on him.

Based on what Macdonald said last Wednesday, with extra competition in the mix, the Seahawks expect him to make that jump as a better all-around player. With an elite combination of speed, length, and ball skills, as demonstrated two years ago, he has all of the physical tools to be a perennial All-Pro and with plenty of talent around him in the secondary, his ceiling remains beyond the clouds and the race is on to help him reach his immense potential.

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Seattle, WA

Seeking a House in Seattle for About $600,000

Published

6 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Seeking a House in Seattle for About 0,000

Ted Land had almost given up on being a homeowner.

When he moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2014, he was an award-winning television journalist, having lived and reported in Indiana and Alaska before arriving in Seattle to work for a local station, King 5. At first, he rented a studio apartment in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

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“It’s very walkable, with lots of transit, very L.G.B.T. friendly, great restaurants, nightlife, parks,” said Mr. Land, 40. “It has everything I like in a neighborhood.”

His journalism career had been fraught with unexpected transitions, so it didn’t seem sensible to buy a home. “I thought I was going to move up and be a reporter in New York City or L.A. or D.C.,” he said. “I had my sights set on that. It really wasn’t even on my mind. Buying a house seemed so out of reach for me.”

As the years passed and he bounced from rental to rental, the hustle of TV news began to wear him out. Finally, in 2022, he grabbed an opportunity to move into corporate communications. With that choice came a higher income and a more stable future in Seattle with expanded living options.

“I kept signing lease after lease, not wanting to confront the daunting process of purchasing, and increasingly frustrated with the fact that I didn’t lock in a low interest rate during Covid like so many of my peers did,” Mr. Land said.

He had up to about $620,000 to spend, but as a single-income buyer, he was vexed by the down payment. “Everyone says that you’ve got to put down 20 percent. It’s like, ‘Where am I going to get $100,000? Does anyone know? Can you please tell me that?’”

With help from his broker, Mark Chavez of Windermere Real Estate, Mr. Land arranged to structure a purchase with 10 percent down using a mortgage insurance that costs him less than $100 per month, with his payments reducing in size until they total 20 percent of the home price. “I mean, $50,000 is a lot easier to save for than $100,000,” he said.

But even with that cushion, options were limited in pricey Seattle, especially for the kind of home he wanted. “Apartments are noisy places,” Mr. Land said. “They just are. And that kind of gets old after a while. I was looking for something a little quieter where I’m not hearing neighbors all the time.”

Most of Mr. Chavez’s clients want single-family homes, the broker said, but “it’s a bigger expense and there’s more to take care of, like the landscape. It used to be that to get into a condo, the entry point was more affordable. However, with many homeowner associations underfunded for future expenses, it is becoming more challenging to buy into a condominium.”

The middle ground? Townhouses. But every square foot needed to count, and location was critical. Mr. Land loved Capitol Hill, but felt he couldn’t afford to buy there. “I just really like being in the central part of the city,” he said. “The more I looked, the more I realized that walkability is a really important attribute for me.”

Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:

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Seattle, WA

Huard: Rams’ trade a ‘direct’ response to Seattle Seahawks

Published

18 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Huard: Rams’ trade a ‘direct’ response to Seattle Seahawks

One of the Seattle Seahawks’ biggest rivals delivered the first big shockwaves of the 2026 offseason.

Why Salk ‘blanched’ at a Seahawks Maxx Crosby trade proposal

Los Angeles Rams have agreed to a deal that would send four draft picks to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for All-Pro cornerback and former UW Huskies standout Trent McDuffie, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday morning.

McDuffie, who is entering the final season of his rookie contract, is expected to sign a long-term extension with the Rams, according to Schefter.

Shortly after the news broke, former NFL quarterback Brock Huard gave his reaction on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

“This feels like a direct move to match up with JSN and the Seahawks,” Huard said.

Widely considered to be the two best teams in the NFL this past season, the Seahawks and Rams squared off in three epic battles, capped by Seattle’s 31-27 win over Los Angeles in the NFC Championship.

Over those three games, the Rams’ shaky secondary struggled to contain NFL receiving leader and AP Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks star wideout totaled 27 catches for 354 yards and two touchdowns across those three matchups, including 10 catches for 153 yards and a TD in the NFC title game.

Smith-Njigba also had a career-high 180 receiving yards and two touchdowns in an overtime loss to the Rams in 2024.

“It’s kind of like an old NBA world,” Huard said. “Like, alright, we know we’re gonna have to deal with Jordan or we’re gonna have to deal with Pippen or we’re gonna have to deal with Bird. Like, how do we match up? And (the Rams) know that that was the one area – in their back seven – that could not match up.”

Listen to the full Brock and Salk conversation at this link or in the audio player in the middle of this story. Tune into Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

Seattle Seahawks offseason coverage

• What Brock Huard makes of Seahawks’ Ken Walker situation
• A possible replacement if Seahawks don’t re-sign Walker
• Huard: Jobe is most likely free agent the Seattle Seahawks re-sign
• Report: Seattle Seahawks not tendering restricted FA Jake Bobo
• The Seattle Seahawks’ risks with Walker set to be free agent

Follow @CameronVanTil

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Seattle, WA

Seattle leaders mark 100 days until FIFA World Cup with artwork, security plans

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Seattle leaders mark 100 days until FIFA World Cup with artwork, security plans

The countdown to the FIFA World Cup hit a milestone Tuesday, approximately 100 days from the start of the global soccer tournament, which is being played this time in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Seattle is one of 16 host cities for the tournament, with the first game at Lumen Field scheduled for June 15.

Seattle-area hosts could net $3,800 as Airbnb eyes home sharing for FIFA World Cup fans

City leaders at a press conference on Tuesday described specific changes underway to welcome an estimated 750,000 people during the six matches, from adding new artwork in downtown to bolstering security.

“Our aim is actually to revitalize, reinvigorate, rejuvenate the downtown core,” Seattle World Cup Organizing Committee CEO Peter Tomozawa stated.

People who take a trip through downtown Seattle will see that part of that work has started in anticipation of the World Cup, with 53 colorful paintings on the columns of the monorail, showcasing the flags of the countries of the competing teams.

“In just 100 days, people will come back to Seattle and will be using the system to travel back and forth to various events related to [the] FIFA World Cup,” Seattle Monorail Services Megan Ching said.

“The visitors who are coming here for the World Cup are already booking their trips: where to stay, how to get around and what to explore,” added Jorge Gotuzzo with Visit Seattle.

Darkalinos restaurant hopes the events planned for Pioneer Square will convince new customers to return beyond the tournament.

“The summer season is what keeps us going,” General Manager Crystal Hernandez told KOMO News. “We’re going to have a beer garden in the plaza. There will be some live music outside.”

Behind the scenes, work continues to plan for crowd control and security. That means round table meetings and partnerships at the international, federal, state and local levels.

Iran’s participation in Seattle World Cup match up in the air following US strikes

“We’ve been working on the security plan for over three years,” Tomozawa explained. “We hired former SPD Chief John Diaz to design the plan and I have to say this is one of our highest priorities, for sure.”

Downtown Seattle Association President and CEO Jon Scholes adds that businesses are eager to build on the success of the recent Seahawks Super Bowl parade. He said there will be watch parties for the matches at Westlake, Pacific Place and along the waterfront.

“Seattle’s a big event town, and we can do it well and produce a lot of joy for hundreds of thousands of people,” Scholes stated.

The World Cup Organizing Committee mentioned Seattle’s walkability makes it a great location for the tournament. It’s why they also announced a new walking path to connect multiple neighborhoods that will stay beyond the summer.

Seattle to host 4 free FIFA World Cup 2026 fan celebration venues starting June 11

It’s called the Unity Loop, runs about four-and-a-quarter miles and will connect the stadiums, waterfront, Seattle Center, Westlake and the CID, but no specifics were provided.

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