THE DEAL IS DONE: The 49ers have agreed to a remarkable ace exchange.
GettySeattle Seahawks rumors are heating up on whether cornerback ‘Riq Woolen was “benched” against the San Francisco 49ers.
During the Seattle Seahawks’ blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving, the team appeared to bench star cornerback Riq Woolen for veteran Mike Jackson. After the game, head coach Pete Carroll appeared to downplay the Seahawks rumors noting Woolen is dealing with a shoulder injury.
“Riq wasn’t back all the way,” Carroll said of the switch during a November 23, 2023 postgame press conference. “He didn’t tackle well with his shoulder, and we went into the game wanting to see if he could hold up and didn’t feel like he was ready. And Mike was 100% ready to go, and we think Mike’s a terrific football player and there’s no problem putting him on the field.”
Through his first 10 games of the season, Woolen has 30 tackles, 7 pass deflections, 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery. Pro Football Focus has graded Woolen at 69 (out of 100) for his play during this stretch. Woolen made the Pro Bowl during his rookie season in 2022 posting 63 tackles, 16 pass deflections, 6 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries and a touchdown in 17 starts.
Seahawks Rumors: Seattle Replaced Starting Corner Riq Woolen for Mike Jackson During the Loss to San Francisco
Technically, Woolen was benched but Carroll indicated it was for injury-related reasons. During the 49ers matchup, there appeared to be conflicting information on the reason for the benching. Seattle initially denied Woolen was being put on the sideline for injury reasons.
