Karma wasted no time coming back to haunt Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen on Sunday.
During the second half of the NFC championship game, Seattle appeared to force a fourth-and-12 on the Rams thanks to a big defensive stop. Woolen, however, apparently took things too far when celebrating the play, blatantly taunting the L.A. bench right in front of the referee.
His antics resulted in a 15-yard penalty, effectively erasing the hard work of his defense and rewarding the Rams with a first down. On the very next play, Matthew Stafford dialed up a 34-yard touchdown pass to Puka Nacua. Who was responsible for the coverage on that play? You guessed it; none other than Woolen himself.
Not only did Woolen make the irredeemable penalty that wiped away a fourth down, but he also got smoked by Nacua en route to a Rams touchdown.
Have a look at the sequence:
From Rams 4th & 12 to a 1st down following the unsportsmanlike conduct on Seattle 😬
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 26, 2026
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/ANR5FHr6yO
Woolen’s unsportsmanlike conduct violation was the fifth Seahawks penalty of the game, though none were quite as costly. Sean McVay opted to get aggressive after the Rams’ drive was given new life, and they instantly made Woolen and Seattle pay for the mistake.
Stafford ➡️ Puka!
— ESPN (@espn) January 26, 2026
Rams make it a one-score game 👀
(via @RamsNFL)pic.twitter.com/RlCVZaHT0T
Woolen’s teammates were not happy with him after the drive. The Fox broadcast captured a heated scene on the sidelines as various Seahawks players, mainly Nick Emmanwori, gave the defensive back an earful, not hiding their disdain for his mental mistake.
Nick Emmanwori and Tariq Woolen exchanged some words after that entire sequence: pic.twitter.com/RMWiRnZQxn https://t.co/kJMHGhn6e8
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 26, 2026
Talk about a momentum shifter. Rather than force the Rams to face a fourth-and-12 and likely a long field goal attempt, L.A. was able to salvage the drive and turn it into seven points. The Seahawks, up 11 points at the time, had the chance to get the ball back and look to further extend their lead, but instead the Rams were able to claw back within four points. Just brutal.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tariq Woolen's Irredeemable Taunting Penalty Immediately Set Up Rams Touchdown.
