Pete Carroll Says He 'Competed Pretty Hard' to Remain Seahawks HC Before Shock Exit

Pete Carroll made it clear his departure as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks wasn't a totally mutual decision.

Team chairperson Jody Allen announced Wednesday that the Seahawks "amicably agreed" with Carroll to remove him as the coach and shift him to an advisory role.

Carroll provided his side and told reporters he "competed pretty hard" to keep his job. He was also noncommittal when asked whether he'd be open to coaching elsewhere:

On the other side of the country, things have gotten so bad with the New England Patriots that a not insignificant percentage of the fanbase — and perhaps team owner Robert Kraft — is ready to move on from Bill Belichick.

It wasn't like that in Seattle, where the Seahawks made the playoffs in 2022 and nearly punched their ticket to the postseason again in 2023.

In the case of Carroll, there's always the danger of letting a legendary figure hang on a little too long, something that may have happened with Belichick and the Patriots.

The Seahawks haven't advanced past the NFC divisional round since 2014, when they made the second of their back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. The defense was backsliding in a big way. A new starting quarterback could be installed this offseason or next depending on what happens with Geno Smith, who's signed through 2025.

The famed "Legion of Boom" defense has long since been dismantled. Russell Wilson got traded. A coaching change was the last step before the Seahawks fully turned the page to a new era.

For Carroll, he should have some options if he's not ready to ride off into retirement. At 72, he's only one year older than Belichick, who has been floated as a logical short-term solution for multiple teams.

A franchise that's built to contend now would be wise to at least consider Carroll.