Tag Archives: Pete Carroll

How Schneider built a Super Bowl contender as fans called for his firing

November 12, 2025 cc Leave a comment

After the 2024 season, a lot of Seahawks fans wanted John Schneider to be fired. They were understandably tired of his failure to put together an even average offensive line throughout his 15 years as general manager, and they were annoyed by a 2024 offseason that seemingly had done little to help the franchise.

It’s surprising how quickly things can change. Amid a 7-2 start that has featured major contributions from half a dozen new players and proven that Sam Darnold is indeed a franchise quarterback, Schneider has been getting a lot of credit.

In fact, in a survey of 42 NFL decision makers by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, 23 voted him as the executive of the year at the midseason point.

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Coaches, Franchise history, State of the team

Hawks are setting up for another 2012-13 run

August 11, 2025 cc Leave a comment

We haven’t seen Sam Darnold and the starting skill players in action yet – that apparently will happen a bit this week against the Chiefs – but the first preseason game showed everything we need to know about what this Seattle offense is trying to do.

If it succeeds, as we expect it to, the Seahawks should be well poised to repeat their 2011-13 ascent and come away with a Super Bowl trophy in Mike Macdonald’s third year (like Pete Carroll did in his fourth year).

Let’s run through the similarities that make us think this is how it is going to go.

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Coaches, Contracts, Trades

Carroll’s return was Geno’s out as he felt ‘disconnect’ in Seattle

April 8, 2025 cc Leave a comment

Without saying it out loud, Geno Smith basically confirmed what we always thought: Pete Carroll’s return to the NFL precipitated Smith’s departure from Seattle.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again (along with ESPN’s Brady Henderson): We think Smith very likely would still be in Seattle (under a new deal) if Carroll had not been hired by the Las Vegas Raiders.

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The roster, Trades

Geno traded: Why and how Hawks are suddenly changing quarterbacks

March 7, 2025 cc 1 Comment

In a surprising move that seemed unlikely based on everything John Schneider and Mike Macdonald had said, the Seahawks traded Geno Smith to Pete Carroll’s Raiders on Friday.

They got a third-round pick (No. 92) in return – which all things considered was a solid payout. In fact, if Carroll had not returned to the NFL, we doubt there would have been a trade market for Smith. Carroll and the Raiders clearly coveted Smith enough to give up a Day 2 pick.

Here is how it all went down, based on various reliable national NFL reporters:

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Coaches, Free agency, Trades

Carroll joining Raiders spices up offseason possibilities

January 26, 2025 cc Leave a comment

It is a surprise that some team wanted to hire a 73-year-old coach who fizzled out over his final three years in Seattle, but kudos to Pete Carroll for making an unexpected return to the NFL.

That now leads to natural questions about whether he might want to bring any of his former Seahawks players to Las Vegas. New Raiders GM John Spyvek, hired from Tampa Bay, will have a lot to say about that, of course.

The Raiders have plenty of roster needs, including quarterback, wide receiver and cornerback. The Hawks have three players at those spots whose names have been bandied about in trade speculation. Would Carroll have any interest in a reunion with Geno Smith, DK Metcalf or Riq Woolen?

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Contracts, The roster

History says Geno will lead the Hawks to the playoffs in 2024, then be replaced

February 5, 2024 cc 2 Comments

If history is any predictor, Geno Smith will lead the Seahawks to the playoffs in Mike Macdonald’s first season – and then be replaced shortly thereafter.

John Schneider has been involved in a new Seattle coach’s transition period with a lame-duck quarterback twice before and been instrumental in finding the franchise quarterback both times.

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Coaches

Mike Macdonald: ‘We’re gonna win a lot of football games’

January 31, 2024 cc Leave a comment

“We’re gonna be here for a long time, and we’re gonna win a lot of football games.” — Mike Macdonald to execs and staff welcoming him at VMAC

When it came down to conference title game weekend, John Schneider was pretty much guaranteed of getting one of his top two options to become the Seahawks’ next coach.

When Ben Johnson decided to stay in Detroit, Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald immediately became the favorite – even though he had yet to speak with Schneider. It happened fast: Two interviews in two days yielded a six-year contract to become the eighth full-time coach in Seahawks history.

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Coaches

Schneider’s top choice for coach is probably still in the playoffs

January 27, 2024 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks are now one of just two teams left without coaches for 2024, and some fans and analysts are wondering what is taking so long.

First, they need to understand the NFL rules around hiring a coach: Conference title game coaches could not interview this week, and teams have to interview at least two minority candidates in person as part of their process.

The Hawks have two minority candidates remaining. Las Vegas DC Patrick Graham reportedly met with John Schneider on Tuesday, and Carolina DC Ejiro Evero was set to interview with Schneider today.

Meanwhile, it seems pretty clear that Schneider still wants to talk to at least one coach from the four remaining playoff teams. Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is the obvious one, and Baltimore DC Mike Macdonald could be on Seattle’s radar as well.

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Coaches

Jody Allen makes the right call; now it’s Schneider’s turn

January 10, 2024 cc Leave a comment

Kudos to Jody Allen for doing what she needed to do and moving on from Pete Carroll.

As hard as it surely was to do, Allen clearly saw what needed to be done and actually had the guts to do it despite Carroll’s self-described attempts to change her mind (“I didn’t back off for an instant”). That is great leadership by Allen to make a needed change.

This move does not take away from the fact that Carroll is the best coach in Seahawks history — the only one to win a Super Bowl, the one with the most wins, the one with the longest tenure. It was a great run, especially the 2012-16 seasons when the Legion of Boom was in its prime.

It does not take away from the fact that he is a great person, well respected by nearly all of his former players and coaches.

But all things end — always. That is life. And, for the Seahawks to return to contention, it was time for this move to happen, as we wrote yesterday.

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Schedule

It’s hard for Hawks to find wins, so final three games are no gimmes

December 23, 2023 cc Leave a comment

For all of the Seahawks’ flaws, there apparently is only one NFC team they cannot beat – or at least come close to beating.

Pete Carroll surely would like another chance to face the 49ers, but the only way to do it is to make the playoffs, which will require an unlikely four-game winning streak to end the season — or else some help from other teams losing.

Everyone, especially Carroll, was giddy about Seattle’s last-minute win over the Philadelphia Eagles last Monday – a win that not only ended a four-game slide but boosted the Seahawks’ playoff hopes.

The win over an NFC team gave them a little more pull in the tiebreakers, but they still have to win their final three or get some help from teams playing Minnesota, Los Angeles and/or New Orleans.

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