The Las Vegas Raiders took a risk this offseason by firing head coach Antonio Pierce, who was well-liked by the players. However, they replaced him with one of the most beloved coaches of the last decade.
Pete Carroll has officially been named as the head coach of the Raiders and he’s so liked around the NFL that even the Seattle Seahawks congratulated him on the job. That’s not to mention current Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith showed him some love on Instagram.
It didn’t stop there. One of the most notable reactions was that of Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner. He responded to the Raiders’ X post of the announcement of Carroll as head coach where he commented two fingers crossed emojis and a fire emoji.
While it’s difficult to decipher what that might mean, many fans think that Wagner could be eyeing a move to Las Vegas.
“You like Vegas, Bobby??” one Raiders fan wrote.
“That #54 in Silver and Black though,” another fan wrote.
“You should have come to the Raiders years ago when [Gus] Bradley was here, but it’s never too late! You proved you are still one of the best around!” a fan added.
Bobby Wagner Is On Expiring Contract
Wagner can’t be thinking too hard about his future currently as he’s in the midst of a playoff run with the Commanders. However, it has to be in the back of his mind as he’s on an expiring contract.
Wagner is one the best linebackers in NFL history and should be a Hall of Famer one day. He’s been named First or Second-Team All-Pro 11 times in his career. Even though he’s 34, he was named as an All-Pro once again this season. Wagner doesn’t have many years left of being an impact player but he could be interested in spending those final years with Carroll.
Pete Carroll Already Showing Energy
Carroll is going to be the oldest coach in NFL history once the 2025 regular season starts. Though he’s 73, he has the energy level of a much younger man. According to ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez, Carroll already showed off his energy to the Raiders.
“I was told as he walked through the facility, when he was there for his in-person interview, there was kind of like this light radiating from him, and he was just kind of bubbly and bouncing off the walls, and there was this energy that really kind of permeated everybody that came in contact with him,” Gutierrez said in a Jan. 24 interview with JT The Brick.
“Now, does that translate into wins? Not necessarily, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction for a team that, again, is just looking for some professionalism, looking for something to hang its hat on. And with Pete Carroll, you know exactly what you’re getting as opposed to a lot of the other candidates that were out there.”
It’s been a rough two decades for the Raiders as they haven’t won a playoff game since 2002. Perhaps a positive and energetic coach like Carroll is exactly what the team needs. The fact that he’s a proven winner who has a Super Bowl ring also helps.
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11-Time All-Pro Defender Has Head-Turning Reaction to Pete Carroll-Raiders News