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Seahawks Rumors: 'Seismic Change' Not Expected for Pete Carroll, Coaching Staff
January 5, 2022
The Seattle Seahawks reportedly aren't expected to make any significant changes to their coaching staff following a playoff-less 2021 NFL season, with head coach Pete Carroll expected to remain in charge.
ESPN's Dan Graziano reported the update Wednesday but noted there's still uncertainty about the future of quarterback Russell Wilson:
"The people I talk to in Seattle definitely aren't expecting seismic change there, so we will see. My understanding is Carroll is under contract for several more seasons, and I think when his time there is done, he'll have a lot of say in that. The big question there is what happens at quarterback, whether Russell Wilson wants to leave and whether that would signal enough of a change to prompt Carroll to rethink how big a rebuild he wants to undertake. But so far, everyone has made good on their word to keep offseason issues to the side and keep their focus on the season. Which isn't a big surprise, given the track records there."
The Seahawks got off to a 2-5 start to the current campaign and could never recover. They'll carry a 6-10 record into Sunday's season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.
That lack of success has created a "leaguewide feeling" the successful Carroll-Wilson partnership will come to a close in the offseason, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday.
Carroll denied there were any early discussions about a potential trade of Wilson, who's under contract through 2023 as part of a four-year, $140 million deal.
"The kind of conversations that we have behind the scenes are not in line with the rumors," Carroll told reporters Monday. "OK? There you go; they are not at all. We have been talking, we have been together and connected throughout this whole season. That's why it's easy to dismiss those at this time."
Wilson had appeared to hedge his bets when asked about his future before Sunday's blowout home victory over the Detroit Lions, though.
"I know for me personally, I hope it's not my last game [in Seattle], but at the same time, I know it won't be my last game in the NFL," the eight-time Pro Bowler said. "So I'm just focused on today and getting better today. So that's my focus and that's my goal. I love this city, and I love this moment."
Wilson will fall well short of the career-high 40 touchdowns he threw in 2020 this season, but he's remained efficient with a 22-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 13 games.
In turn, there would likely be no shortage of suitors if the Hawks made him available for trade during the offseason, though Wilson would have to agree to the destination because of his no-trade clause. The 33-year-old University of Wisconsin product is still in the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks when healthy—he was hampered by a finger injury in 2021.
Carroll has compiled a 118-73-1 regular-season record across 12 years in Seattle. He led the Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in 2013 and 2014, highlighted by winning the Super Bowl XLVIII title. Wilson joined the team in 2012 as a third-round pick.
If a blockbuster trade takes place in the months ahead, it'll mark the end of one of the best coach-quarterback partnerships of the current era.