The Seattle Seahawks fell to 5-10 on the season on December 26 with a 25-24 loss to the Chicago Bears. The loss eliminated the NFC West team from playoff contention and led to increased calls for big changes during the offseason.
There were several fans and analysts alike who weighed in about the Seahawks’ loss with strong comments. Many called for head coach Pete Carroll to move on to other opportunities while some also mentioned general manager John Schneider and his future with the organization. These conversations have taken place throughout the losing season, but the game against the Bears only ramped up the intensity.
The Seahawks are the first team this season to lose multiple games after leading by double digits in the 4th quarter (also Week 2 vs Titans). Both have come at home.
Seattle has clinched last place in the NFC West for the first time since moving to the division in 2002.
One Twitter user weighed in and said that 10 losses in a season with Wilson as the quarterback is something that “you can’t do” in video games. He continued and called Carroll incompetent.
While there were several people calling for the Seahawks to fire Carroll and/or Schneider, another person took a different approach. One Twitter user predicted that Carroll will announce his retirement at the end of the season and step away from football.
“The Pete Carroll era gave Seattle far more than anybody had a right to expect. And it is absolutely time for that era to end,” tweeted USA Today’s Doug Farrar after the loss.
The Super Bowl-winning head coach met with media members after the loss and called the loss “disappointing.” Carroll said that Wilson “can’t take a sack” near the goal line, but he also said that he needs to do better as a coach to help out the players on the field.
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Along with the comments about Carroll and Wilson potentially departing the team, there were many that focused on two key players. Some users said that the Seahawks wasted strong performances by Rashaad Penny and Bobby Wagner.
Penny rushed for 135 yards on 17 carries, his second game in three weeks where he topped the century mark. Injuries have limited him throughout his career, but the former first-round pick from the 2018 NFL Draft kept the offense moving at critical times. Penny added his third rushing touchdown of the year.
Wagner, on the other hand, reached double-digit tackles during the loss to the Bears. He broke his previous franchise record for tackles in a single season. He set the historic mark in 2016 with 167 tackles. He surpassed this mark and hit 170 for the season. Now he needs only five more to pass both Patrick Willis (174 in 2007) and Jerod Mayo (174 in 2010). However, his historic season has not helped the Seahawks contend for wins.
A Longtime Insider Predicted Another ‘Contentious’ Offseason
The cries for changes were prevalent after the loss to the Bears, but they were nowhere near new additions to the Twitter timeline. There have been constant conversations about the future of the organization for several months, to the point that a CBS Sports insider predicted another contentious offseason before the Bears and Seahawks took the field.
Jason La Canfora addressed the Seahawks and the uncertain future with a December 26 article. He said that there is “little to no chance of an extension” looming for Wilson, who has two years remaining on his contract. La Canfora added that the prospect of a massive trade involving the quarterback remains very real due to the issues between him and the organization, which have not improved during a losing season.
“There were numerous teams very interested in Wilson a year ago and that will remain the same in 2022,” La Canfora wrote. “Which direction the Seahawks choose to go remains to be seen, but securing Wilson beyond this current contract is basically a non-starter at this point, and selling him on the team’s immediate future will be difficult at best, whether the team does alter its coaching staff or not.”
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Latest Loss Ramps Up Conversation About Pete Carroll’s Future