Steelers Now
The Seattle Seahawks may have a new starter in their secondary when they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2.
One of the Seattle Seahawks starting cornerbacks is on thin ice heading into their Week 2 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald was asked if cornerback Riq Woolen would start against the Steelers on Sunday and his answer was less than convincing.
“We’ll see,” he said.
Woolen, 26, has started 47 of the 49 games he has played in since being selected in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
However, his status for Week 2 seems to be in serious doubt after allowing a 45-yard completion to wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with just 2:30 remaining in their Week 1 game against the San Francisco 49ers. Just five plays later, he then let tight end Jake Tonges catch the game-winning touchdown with 1:34 left.
If Woolen is benched this week, Seattle is expected to turn to cornerback Josh Jobe, who has earned more playing time. He played 61 of 76 snaps Sunday and had an interception and two tackles.
“Josh is ready to go,” Macdonald said. “He’s always going to be a big part of the game plan. He’s competing for more snaps, and I thought he played a tremendous football game. He played physical. He played smart. He played disciplined, finishing plays right. I thought he played a great game.”
Seahawks starting cornerback Devon Witherspoon is also in danger of missing their Week 2 tilt with the Steelers since he’s missed the past two practices with a knee injury.
Witherspoon has been impressive since being selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, recording 185 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles, 25 passes defensed, one interception and one touchdown in 32 games.
If Woolen and Witherspoon are sidelined, it would certainly set up a potentially big game for DK Metcalf and the rest of the Steelers wide receivers.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Seahawks Cornerback in Danger of Losing Starting Job
