After 14 years, Pete Carroll is no longer the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. The 72-year-old Super Bowl champion is moving on to an advisory role for now, but anyone who watched his press conference can tell you that he has some unfinished business on the sideline. For one, he didn’t shut down a return to coaching, as he said that “we’ll have to wait and see” when asked if he’d jump ship for another opportunity.
Pete Carroll was very grateful and appreciative during his presser today, but he made it pretty clear that he tried to stay on as the #Seahawks head coach. He declined to get into details as to what happened with ownership.
Asked about getting an opportunity elsewhere: "We'll… https://t.co/W2Ehzskjvy
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 10, 2024
This comment tracks with what we’ve heard from Carroll up to this point. Despite his advanced age, Seattle’s former head coach remains as animated as ever on the sideline and even said he was planning to return as head coach as recently as January 8th. It’s clear that Pete Carroll didn’t want this, and he’d probably be willing to take a head coaching job elsewhere if another team presents that opportunity. Normally a coach like Carroll would be a hot commodity, but this is no regular year. Jim Harbaugh, Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel, and several exciting newcomers like Ben Johnson and Bobby Slowik are all available, and each guy could have more appeal than Carroll.
Pete Carroll is an old-fashioned coach, and there is a case to be made that his love for the running game and overall conservative philosophy puts a ceiling on how good he can be. However, he’s still one of the best leaders in the game and is perhaps the best out there at putting his players in a position to succeed, regardless of where they were drafted. Right now, there are six teams (excluding the Seahawks) currently looking for a head coach, so let’s see how Carroll could fit with each organization.
Pete Carroll Wants To Keep Coaching – Top Landing Spots
Carolina Panthers
There is no reason for Pete Carroll to want to join the Carolina Panthers, and vice versa. The Panthers are in the midst of a rebuild, have no pieces on offense, a major question mark in quarterback Bryce Young, and no first-round pick. This team is going to be bad for a while, and Carroll won’t want to spend his glory years dealing with losing seasons. Carolina, meanwhile, needs to try and salvage Young’s career, which means they should try to hire an offensive-minded coach who can play to the strengths of the Alabama product.
Tennessee Titans
See above. While Will Levis showed some flash in his rookie season, the jury is still out on whether or not he can be a franchise quarterback. What isn’t up for debate, however, is just how terrible this roster is. The offensive line is probably the worst in the league, DeAndre Hopkins is the only reliable wide receiver, and Tennessee’s defense is getting old. On top of that, the Titans just fired an old-school, defensive-minded head coach in Mike Vrabel, so why would they hire an older coach with similar football philosophies?
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders went 8-9 despite starting the season with Josh McDaniels and dealing with the underwhelming quarterback duo of Jimmy Garoppolo and Aidan O’Connell. While this speaks volumes about what interim head coach Antonio Pierce was able to do, it also shows that there is some talent on this roster. If the Raiders decide to move on from Pierce, they could do a lot worse than Pete Carroll. If you squint hard enough, the wide receiver duo of Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers looks a bit like D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, and Carroll should be able to get the most out of Maxx Crosby’s natural gifts.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons need a quarterback but are otherwise in pretty good shape. The offensive line is reliable, the defense has some nice playmakers, and the trio of Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts has the potential to be one of the best in the league. Pete Carroll found a way to turn Geno Smith into a league-average starter and he’s a big reason Russell Wilson turned into such a huge NFL success. If he can get his hands on someone like Justin Fields, then the sky is the limit for this team.
Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders are guaranteed to get either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye in the 2024 NFL Draft, and that alone makes this one of the most attractive head coaching positions in the league. On top of that, they also have the most salary cap space in the league. If offered the job, Pete Carroll would have the opportunity to completely remake this team in his image, and it’s hard to say no to an opportunity like that. Maybe they won’t be Super Bowl contenders in 2024, but they’d certainly be an exciting watch.
Los Angeles Chargers
This is the only team on this list that has a legitimate shot of winning it all next year. Justin Herbert is one of the best quarterbacks in the game, one of the few players that gives you a chance to win every single week, regardless of the rest of the roster. Combining this elite quarterback with a top-five pick and a roster with talented players means that Pete Carroll could immediately turn this ship around in as little as one season. Add in the fact that the Chargers are reportedly looking for an experienced coach and you have a match made in heaven.
Main Photo: Michael Chow – USA Today Sports
