Seattle Seahawks Rule Out CB Riq Woolen For Thursday Matchup vs. San Francisco 49ers

Already short-handed in the trenches, the Seahawks will be without one of their shutdown corners as Riq Woolen sits with an ankle injury against the 49ers.

Nov 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) defends a pass intended for Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (87) during the first half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

After exiting in the second half of Sunday's loss to the New York Giants with an ankle sprain, the Seattle Seahawks won't have cornerback Riq Woolen in uniform for a pivotal NFC West prime time matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football.

Woolen suffered the injury early in the third quarter, appearing to roll over his ankle while attempting to make a tackle. He tried to jog off the field and wound up laying down on his back with trainers rushing from the sideline to tend to him. After having the ankle taped up in the blue injury tent, he returned to the field briefly before eventually being replaced by rookie Nehemiah Pritchett in the fourth quarter.

When asked how long Woolen may be out, coach Mike Macdonald was non-committal beyond Thursday, though he did say the third-year cornerback is moving okay on the injured ankle.

"We’ll see next week.," Macdonald responded. "But he looks good right now, he’s moving around all right. He’s just not ready to go this game.”

With Woolen out, Pritchett may be in line for his first career start after recording a key third down pass breakup on Sunday, though the Seahawks could also consider elevating veteran Artie Burns from the practice squad for a more experienced alternative to face the 49ers. The team won't have to make that determination until Thursday afternoon.

Aside from Woolen missing his first game of the season, the Seahawks won't have defensive tackle Byron Murphy II or edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu available to play against the 49ers. Murphy will miss his second straight game with a hamstring strain, while Nwosu suffered a thigh injury in his 2024 debut on Sunday and is expected to land on injured reserve, meaning he will miss a minimum of four games before he can return to play.

To help offset Murphy's absence, the Seahawks could activate defensive tackle Cameron Young from the PUP list. The second-year defender returned to practice last week and per Macdonald, he has looked good and not had any setbacks on the practice field coming off a knee injury.

Receiving questionable designations, Macdonald expressed confidence that Boye Mafe (knee) and Derick Hall (foot) would be able to play on Thursday night, while safety Julian Love will be a game-time decision with a hamstring issue. Mafe has missed the past two games, while Hall injured his foot late in Sunday's loss, leaving the team further depleted depth-wise at outside linebacker.

Even if Mafe and Hall both dress on Thursday night, the Seahawks will have an open roster spot once Nwosu ends up on injured reserve and on a short week, they will likely promote either Jamie Sheriff or Tyreke Smith from the practice squad as additional depth at the position.