Getty Pete Carroll is "extremely frustrated" with the Seahawks, says former LB KJ Wright.
Head coach Pete Carroll is “sick and tired” of the current Seattle Seahawks team, according to one of his players.
KJ Wright — a former key member of the “Legion of Boon” defense and a 10-year starter in Seattle — claims that Carroll is “extremely frustrated” that his message is not getting through to the Seahawks. Seattle is currently in a free fall and battling for a playoff spot after losing four straight games and five of their past six.
Wright detailed why Carroll isn’t happy during “The KJ Wright Show.”
“What I’m hearing from Coach Carroll is that he’s sick and tired of these guys,” says Wright. “That he’s extremely frustrated. That he’s preaching to them and he’s trying to be nice with them but they’re just not receiving his messaging well. They essentially don’t give a damn about what he’s saying at this point.”
Why Pete Carroll’s Message May Be Growing Old With Seahawks
Carroll is in the midst of his 14th season with the team, the fourth-longest tenure of any head coach in the NFL and the longest of any NFC coach.
During that time, he’s established himself as one of the best coaches in the league and undoubtedly the top head coach in franchise history. He’s missed the playoffs just three times since 2010 and has a cumulative record of 128-81-1 (61%) while winning a Super Bowl and leading the team to another appearance in the process.
However, Carroll may be so deep into his tenure and so up there in age — he’s the oldest head coach in the league at 72 years old — that his message may no longer be reaching the team the same way it did during Wright’s tenure with the Seahawks.
Seahawks May Be Underachieving Because They’re Not Backing Pete Carroll
Wright, who helped lead some of Carroll’s best teams during his tenure in Seattle, offered his own observation as to what the problem is with the Seahawks. He also explained how important the last four games of the season are when it comes to Carroll and the Seahawks potentially moving on from each other.
“It’s everything, it’s literally everything,” says Wright, “And that’s why I’m so upset because I know coach Carroll, I know his heart, I know how much this means to him. But when I look at his personnel, when I look at his players, they don’t have his back. They don’t have his back enough. They’re not doing everything to help him out. ”
While Carroll may be one of the best coaches in the league over the past decade, the Seahawks have clearly reached a ceiling under his leadership. After advancing to the Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons in 2013 and 2014, the Seahawks are 3-6 in the playoffs and have won one playoff game since the 2017 season. They also haven’t advanced past the Divisional Round of the playoffs since 2014.
Carroll’s old-school approach to offense and lack of innovation in play-calling — rely heavily on the running game — may also be a reason why things have become so stagnant. Despite featuring arguably the most talented offensive cast in the league in DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kenneth Walker, Zach Charbonnet and Geno Smith, the Seahawks rank 17th in points and 20th in yards.
If the Seahawks miss thee playoffs this year — especially after starting the season 6-3 — Carroll’s time may be up in Seattle.