Riq Woolen’s day with DK Metcalf, his wild Seahawks week end triumphantly
Early in their reunion game, DK Metcalf and Riq Woolen ran into each other on the field.
Literally ran right into each other.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s the reason why my contact came out,” Woolen said late Sunday afternoon on his way out of Pennsylvania.
Woolen left the Seahawks’ first defensive series because the Steelers’ hulking wide receiver knocked a contact lens out of the Seattle cornerback’s eye.
“Yeah, one of my contacts is still out there on the field somewhere,” Woolen said.
He smiled. He could. He should.
Woolen came through a rocky season opener, questions about his starting position and encounters with his former Seahawks teammate to beat Metcalf and the Steelers 31-17 Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.
Oh, yes, Metcalf got some of his in his first home game since the Seahawks traded their star to Pittsburgh in March for a second-round draft choice. That was days after Metcalf told general manager John Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald he wanted to explore ways out of Seattle to a rich, new contract.
The Steelers made the trade for the 27-year-old Metcalf, then gave him a four-year, $132 million deal.
Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 41 years old in his second game with his new team, targeted Metcalf six times on Sunday. The first target came 3 minutes into the second quarter. On Metcalf’s second target, Seahawks Pro Bowl safety Julian Love broke up the pass. Then Love flexed a bit.
Seattle’s Sam Darnold then threw his second interception of the first half. That set up the Steelers at the Seattle 21-yard line with the game tied at 7.
That’s when the Seahawks learned what life for the rest of the NFL has been for the previous six years: Covering the 6-foot-4, 229-pound Metcalf one on one is hard.
On third down from the 2-yard line, Metcalf basically posted up 6-1 safety Coby Bryant, like a basketball player seeking a rebound. Rodgers simply shot-putted a pass high for Metcalf to jump to. He caught the ball with Bryant hopelessly on his back below him.
The touchdown gave the Steelers a 14-7 lead into the third quarter of a game the Seahawks were dominating, other than Darnold’s turnovers.
Metcalf caught three passes in all, for 20 yards. One was by leaping over and away from the 6-4 Woolen.
Seahawks Pro Bowl end Leonard Williams lauded Metcalf this past week for being a locker-room friend in Seattle with the defensive players.
“We love offensive guys who get along with defensive guys. I think that’s just rare,” Williams said of Metcalf. “We always said that he was welcome to the dark side.”
Yet Woolen said Metcalf was mostly quiet with him during the game Sunday.
“Literally, me and him didn’t really say much during the game,” Woolen said. “But after we chopped it up a little bit. You know, just cool, brother stuff. It was cool seeing him, stuff like that. Missing him, stuff like that.
“But just throughout the game, it was just cool competing and having fun.” Metcalf barely said anything publicly after the game. He told reporters covering the Steelers in the home-team locker room after the game it was good to see friends.
Woolen’s whirl of a week
It’s been a wild start to Woolen’s contract year. His rookie deal ends with the end of this season.
This time last week, Seattleites were as angry at Woolen as they would have been had he chopped down the Space Needle.
With the Seahawks leading the 49ers 13-10 in the fourth quarter of the opening game, Woolen stopped running as a pass was arriving deep down the left sideline. San Francisco’s Ricky Pearsall kept running by him for a 40-yard play that changed Seattle’s momentum in the fourth quarter.
On the same drive Woolen failed to react to Brock Purdy’s pass into the end zone on third down. A 49ers third-string tight end ran in front of Woolen and jumped over him for what became the winning touchdown late in Seattle’s 17-13 loss.
That had fans wanting Woolen benched from his starting cornerback spot he’s had most of his four years in the NFL for the Seahawks. That included as a rookie Pro Bowl selection in 2022. Coach Mike Macdonald added to the speculation this past week. He was asked if Woolen would start Sunday in Pittsburgh.
“We’ll see,” Macdonald said Wednesday.
Then two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon couldn’t play because of a knee injury. Rookie safety Nick Emmanwori remained out with the high-ankle sprain he got making a tackle on the season’s fifth defensive play last week. Suddenly, Seattle needed Woolen.
The better version of him.
The Seahawks got that Sunday. He started opposite Josh Jobe at outside cornerback. Recently signed Derion Kendrick, a former Rams starter, was the primary nickel back when Macdonald went to five defensive backs against Rodgers, Metcalf and the Steelers. And that was the majority of the game.
Woolen’s best play was a hustle one.
The game was tied at 14 midway through the third quarter. Steelers running back Jaylen Warren caught Rodgers’ short pass. He broke missed tackles by Seattle linebackers Ernest Jones and Tyrice Knight. Warren was sprinting free in open field. Warren appeared he might score a 70-yard touchdown for a Steelers lead.
Woolen ran like a track star from the other side of the field and chased down Warren. He tackled him at the 5.
That play became huge when Kendrick intercepted Rodgers in the end zone three plays later, off a pass deflected by Pittsburgh’s Calvin Austin. The game remain tied for Seattle to go win with 17 of the day’s final 20 points.
“Riq had a tough week. And I thought he played a tremendous football game,” Macdonald said. “And what people don’t realize is, we missed a ton of tackles. C.P. (outside linebackers coach Chris Partridge) is going to have a field day (Monday) with the tape.
“But Riq is the guy that chased him down from the backside. Talk about ultimate effort, committed to the process, having your teammates’ back, playing with shocking effort. He does that.
“We defended a blade of grass, and Riq was the guy that deserves a ton of credit...helped us win the football game.”
Riq Woolen: No biggie
Amid the boomin’ bass inside the visitors’ locker room at Acrisure Stadium late Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh, Woolen shrugged off this week was particularly trying or important for him.
“Nah. I just keep to myself, have my head down,” he said.
“Bro, I play cornerback, one of the hardest positions there is to play.
“So I just kept my head down. My teammates got all the faith in me. And I’ve got all faith in my teammates. So I’m not worried, at all.
“The only time you should be worried is when people that you care about the most, when they are worried. And they weren’t worried,” Woolen said. “They knew I’m a great player.
“I’m just glad to have these teammates to help me and be in my corner.
“So other than that, nah, it wasn’t a big deal. I was just out there having fun.”
His head coach appreciated that.
And Woolen’s latest, wild ride from Sunday to Sunday. “I’m really proud of Riq,” Macdonald said. “He’s done a great job this week.”
This story was originally published September 14, 2025 at 4:38 PM.
