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The Seattle Seahawks have hit the rare speed bump this season under Pete Carroll going just 3-5 heading into the team’s bye. To Carroll’s defense, the Seahawks have had to battle injuries to key players including quarterback Russell Wilson.
That said, the Seahawks showed plenty of flaws even with Wilson on the field. If the Seahawks fail to turn around their season, Sports Illustrated’s Michael Rosenberg wonders if the team could consider making a head coaching change.
“Carroll will be a Seahawks legend whenever he leaves, but nothing lasts forever,” Rosenberg detailed. “If you had to list the top 10 coaches in the league right now, would you even consider him? Coaching changes are not just about whether a coach is good at his job. Carroll was and still is. Changes are about whether a team thinks it would be better off with somebody else. That is a big and frankly fair question for Seattle general manager John Schneider. Sometimes a team is better off hearing a different voice and new ideas.
“If the Seahawks decided it was time for a fresh coaching staff, there would be precedents. Look at Mike McCarthy’s record in Green Bay. Look at what happened to Andy Reid in Philadelphia or Tom Coughlin in New York. Doug Pederson won a Super Bowl, made two more playoff appearances, then had one bad year and got fired. The NFL is a league of change. Carroll and the Seahawks have been an admirable exception.
“I’m not predicting Carroll’s ouster or even advocating for it. But I am very curious to see where the Seahawks go from here.”
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Carroll Has Had 9 Straight Seasons With a Winning Record in Seattle
Carroll may have spoiled Seahawks fans and drastically raised the expectations for the franchise compared to when he took over as Seattle head coach in 2010. The Seahawks coach’s recent resume is impressive with nine straight winning seasons including eight playoff appearances during this streak. There is also the two straight Super Bowl appearances including winning the Lombardi Trophy for the 2013 season.
For the first time since 2011, the Seahawks are in danger of finishing with a losing season. The Seahawks’ recent early playoff exits combined with Russell Wilson’s frustration last offseason has put more pressure on Carroll than a coach with his recent accomplishments would typically receive.
Insider Would Not be ‘Shocked’ if Carroll Stepped Down
All this has put more scrutiny on Carroll and the Seahawks front office. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted that he would not be “shocked” if Carroll stepped down if the Seahawks season does not improve.
“I guess it wouldn’t shock me to see Carroll, at age 70, step down if Seattle continues to slide,” Fowler noted. “He changed offensive coordinators in the offseason, and if the defense continues to struggle, another coordinator change might be on the way. After that, there wouldn’t be much left to change, except results.”
Fowler’s comments came in response to ESPN’s Dan Graziano noting that Carroll has given no indication that he plans to step down any time soon.
“Where could you imagine there being an opening that doesn’t look possible now?” Graziano wondered. “I guess you never know when some of the older guys such as Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll and Bruce Arians might decide to move on, but there’s no indication that any of them are thinking that way.”
Carroll Signed a Contract Extension in 2020 That Runs Through the 2025 Season
Despite the speculation, it is hard to imagine the Seahawks going in a different direction, even if the Seahawks fail to make the postseason. Carroll just signed a contract extension in 2020 for a deal that runs through the 2025 season. After news broke of the extension, Carroll noted that he is on a five-year plan.
“I’m so grateful to have this opportunity to have my family here in this area. We love living here, love working here,” Carroll said during a November 2020 interview with 710 ESPN Seattle (via Seahawks.com). “…I love what I’m doing and I love coaching in this setting right here, and hope to do it for a long time. I don’t see any reason why not. I think I’ve mentioned before, I’m kind of on the five-year plan—every year you look at it like, ‘OK, what are you going to do the next five years?’
“That gives me comfort and direction and all of that. We do have a good thing going here, and we have been successful. I love working with John (Schneider) and doing all the stuff that we’ve done. Working for the Allen family for all these years has been a real blessing. And it’s also been a blessing to represent this place that just loves their teams and their sports. The Northwest has been fantastic and the 12s are awesome. I always wish we were sharing more with them, particularly in this season, because they deserve it and they’re awesome and they need to be able to get into this thing too. I’m very grateful.”
At the very least, how the Seahawks finish the second half of the season will have implications on the team’s offseason. Carroll’s offensive philosophy along with Wilson’s relationship with the team will continue to draw scrutiny if the Seahawks do not make a deep playoff run.
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Seahawks Could Consider Coaching Change, Says Analyst