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Riq Woolen’s taunting foul highlights inconsistency

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Riq Woolen’s taunting foul highlights inconsistency


Every few years, the NFL makes taunting a “point of emphasis” for the coming season. That’s a kind way of saying to the officials, “You haven’t been doing your jobs properly. Please start doing so.”

And even with taunting and sportsmanship a point of emphasis again in 2025, the game officials still call taunting far too inconsistently. That fact is proven almost every week, when the league imposes fines for taunting fouls that weren’t flagged in real time.

On Sunday, in a key moment of the NFC Championship, the officials flagged Seattle cornerback Riq Woolen for taunting. His conduct was aimed not at any one opponent, but at the Rams’ sideline. Which conjured a memory of the ridiculous taunting call on former Bears defensive end Cassius Marsh for mean-mugging the Steelers’ sideline during a 2021 Monday night game, the last time taunting was a “point of emphasis.”

The 15-yard foul and automatic first down saved the Rams from having to punt while down 11 points with 17:20 to play.

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While Woolen crossed the line, the problem is no one truly knows where the line is — and when or if the officials will be policing it in real time. Taunting doesn’t get called on a regular basis. Which sends mixed signals to players and teams about what is and isn’t acceptable. Which sets the stage for a player to surrender to a human moment without realizing that they’re setting themselves up for a foul.

Complicating matters for Woolen was the fact that (if you watch the broadcast closely) his generalized taunt eventually put him in the vicinity of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. And Stafford was not pleased. Which worked against Woolen on the very next play, when he was covering Rams receiver Puka Nacua. Stafford targeted Woolen and the eleven-point lead shrunk to four in a flash.

It’s impressive that the Seahawks were able to keep things from snowballing, especially after Woolen and defensive back Nick Emmanwori were jawing on the sideline in the aftermath of the drive. The point for now is that inconsistency in officiating creates plenty of issues, including confusing players, coaches, viewers who don’t know what will, and won’t, spark a flag.

The situation justifies a conversation on whether the whole get-off-my-lawn approach to taunting should be revisited. The league’s thinking is that taunting creates hard feelings that will prompt the tauntee to look for a way to get back at the taunter later in the game, possibly by inflicting a big hit (legal or otherwise).

They say it’s rooted in sportsmanship. The truth is that it comes from the broader concern about player safety. And if one player isn’t looking for a way to take a free shot at another player, the chances of an extra concussion or two landing on the total annual number of head injuries are minimized — which contributes to a valuable P.R. mechanism for arguing that the game is “safer than ever.”

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And which in turn justifies the ongoing obsession for an 18th regular-season game.

At some point, however, the league may need to admit that the officials simply can’t (or won’t) pull the trigger on every taunt that happens. And if the league isn’t willing to abandon the no-taunting position, maybe the better approach is to treat taunting like the hip-drop tackle, which is rarely if ever flagged and which is addressed after the fact with fines.





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Seattle, WA

YesJulz Says a Married Seattle Seahawks Player Slid in Her DMs After the Super Bowl and She’s Sending Receipts to His Wife

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YesJulz Says a Married Seattle Seahawks Player Slid in Her DMs After the Super Bowl and She’s Sending Receipts to His Wife


YesJulz, a social media influencer, has become a topic of discussion after she announced she would expose any married men who slide into her DMs, hinting that a Seattle Seahawks player who won the Super Bowl had slid into her DM.

The social media influencer made this announcement just hours after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 at Levi’s Stadium, with Kenneth Walker III delivering an MVP performance on the final drive of the night. While the team was celebrating, YesJulz announced that this was one of her personal rules.

“If you slide in my DM’s and I go to your page & see a post with you & you’re wife, I’m screen shotting and sending to her immediately,” she announced on X. “And idgaf if you just won the Super Bowl. It’s time people adopted some morals.”

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Although she didn’t mention any of the players, this was just hours after they won, leading many to speculate that a Seahawk had recently slid into YesJulz’s DMs. However, no evidence of this has been given, and no Seahawk was named.

There are many opinions on this: some believe that YesJulz has set some legit boundaries, while others think she wants attention and wants to start some drama.

One of them said, “She just wants people to know that a winner of the Super Bowl is in her DMs. Typical women stuff.” Another one said, “Hoes don’t be quiet no more, that’s the problem.” Then another one said, “Lol. If you’re going to go all out, say who it is. Otherwise, you’re probably lying.” Then another one said, “Julz is the most dangerous woman out because she knows the game. She knows what she looks like and who’s most likely to be attracted to it. So, it’s like 20 thousand married men in her DMs. The ‘girls girl’ act is wild and not believable. You want to be messy.”

Some comments revived rumors that YesJulz was involved with LeBron James. She said that their relationship was only platonic.

The Seahawks and no one from the team commented on this issue. They were still riding high from their Super Bowl win when this happened.

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Watch Super Bowl 60 champion Seattle Seahawks victory press conference

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Watch Super Bowl 60 champion Seattle Seahawks victory press conference


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The Seattle Seahawks topped the New England Patriots 29-13 in the 2026 Super Bowl behind a standout performance from the “Dark Side” defense and the rushing of game MVP Kenneth Walker III.

USA TODAY will have continued coverage of aftermath of Super Bowl 60 all week as the NFL heads into its offseason. Return here throughout Feb. 9 for the latest updates from Santa Clara and around the league.

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USA TODAY Ad Meter took the pulse of the nation on this year’s lineup of Super Bowl commercials, and there were certainly some memorable entries into the cultural sphere. But which was best? Ad Meter voters spoke, with a Super Bowl break icon coming out on top again. Find out who won here.

– Eric Larsen

From commemorative page prints of USA TODAY’s post-Super Bowl edition to Seahawks championship gear, USA TODAY has Seahawks fans covered. Click the link below to find items to help any diehard 12 celebrate Seattle’s second Lombardi Trophy win.

Buy Seahawks championship pages, gear

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– Eric Larsen

The NFL held its post-Super Bowl 60 press conference with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks at 11:30 a.m. ET, Feb. 9. You can watch a recap of the brief appearance from Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and running back Kenneth Walker III here:

– Eric Larsen

Asked how the Seahawks will maintain their defensive advantage after a dominant run through the 2025 season, Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said, “We use the term ‘chasing edges’ here in Seattle. You can’t be copying everybody else.”

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Macdonald said it till be up to the Seahawks to “keep pushing the envelope” on their game plans as they begin their defense as Super Bowl champions.

– Eric Larsen

Asked about the short list of running backs who’ve won Super Bowl MVP – the Denver Broncos’ Terrell Davis was the last halfback to win the award, in Super Bowl 32 – Walker said, “It means a lot to have my name on that list.”

– Eric Larsen

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Fans seen climbing Pergola in Seattle’s Pioneer Square after Seahawks’ Super Bowl win

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Fans seen climbing Pergola in Seattle’s Pioneer Square after Seahawks’ Super Bowl win


The Seattle Seahawks captured the franchise’s second Super Bowl title Sunday night, and celebrations erupted across the city as fans gathered in Pioneer Square.

What we know:

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Shortly after the Seahawks’ victory in Super Bowl LX fans filled streets near First Avenue and Yesler Way.

Seattle police asked people to keep celebrations on the ground, but some people climbed the historic Pioneer Square pergola — just like after the Seahawks’ first Super Bowl title in 2014.

The backstory:

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The pergola, installed in 1909, has become a focal point during big city celebrations. In 2014, revelers climbed atop the structure and broke several glass panes, prompting later repairs funded by the community.

Seattle police were on scene in Pioneer Square as crowds continued into the night. Authorities previously warned fans ahead of the game to avoid climbing the pergola for safety reasons.

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Dig deeper:

The Seahawks’ win marked the team’s first Super Bowl championship since Super Bowl XLVIII, when they defeated the Denver Broncos 43-8. That 2014 victory sparked massive celebrations and a citywide parade.

On the field Sunday, Seattle’s defense and special teams helped secure the victory, forcing turnovers and limiting their opponent’s offense. Running back Kenneth Walker III earned Super Bowl MVP honors with 161 total yards.

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Back in Seattle, fans celebrating in Pioneer Square echoed the exuberance of past championship nights — including scaling structures and gathering in large crowds — as the festivities continued late into the evening.

The Source: Information in this story came from the Seattle Police Department, Seattle Department of Transportation and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting.

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