Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen fined for taunting Rams bench

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Seattle Seahawks defensive again Tariq Woolen was fined $17,398 Saturday for a taunting penalty through the NFC championship sport towards the Los Angeles Rams.

Woolen's penalty got here at a important level with lower than three minutes within the third quarter. After the Seahawks stopped the Rams on third down with an 11-point lead, it appeared Seattle would get a possibility to place the game out of attain.

However Woolen jawed on the Rams bench whereas backpedaling together with his arms behind his again after the play.

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So, as a substitute of forcing a punt again to the Seattle offense, the penalty gave the Rams an automated first down. LA scored only a play later to chop the result in one possession.

Woolen yelled at his teammates on the sideline after the Rams landing and was the main target of immense criticism on social media.

After the sport, Woolen took to social media to deal with the scenario and the backlash he confronted, showing to supply an apology in meme kind, whereas additionally praising the connection together with his teammates amid the sideline altercation.

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"No extra taunting penalties," he wrote in a single publish.

"Wasn't getting pressed. We brothers and all of us chasing greatness we on the identical mission," he wrote in one other, in response to a consumer who accused him of getting "pressed."

Whereas the Woolen penalty made the sport a lot nearer than it may have been within the fourth quarter, Seattle's protection held on to safe the win, 31-27, to advance to the Tremendous Bowl.

Seattle Seahawks extensive receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, proper, celebrates with teammates after scoring a landing through the first half of a divisional playoff sport towards the San Francisco 49ers Jan. 17, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Picture/Stephen Brashear)

The Seahawks put the sport away due to a fourth-down cease with lower than 5 minutes remaining. Seattle ultimately clinched the NFC title when time ran out on Los Angeles after Puka Nacua's 21-yard seize to try to set the Rams up for a Hail Mary try.

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Riq Woolen of the Seattle Seahawks reacts after profitable an NFL divisional playoff sport towards the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Discipline Jan. 17, 2026 in Seattle. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Pictures)

This yr's Tremendous Bowl is a rematch of the Seahawks' final Tremendous Bowl look in 2015. They tackle the New England Patriots in Santa Clara, California, Feb. 8. The earlier Tremendous Bowl between these two groups is thought to be among the finest ever. New England sealed the victory within the last seconds with a Malcolm Butler interception of Russell Wilson on the objective line.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports activities reporter for Fox Information Digital overlaying important political and cultural points in sports activities, with an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited in federal authorities actions associated to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media shops together with The New York Instances, The Los Angeles Instances, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Related Press and ESPN.com.