Pete Carroll is with the Raiders, could Russell Wilson or Geno Smith be next?

The Las Vegas Raiders has turned to a Seattle Seahawks legend to be their next head coach.

Super Bowl Champion Pete Carroll has accepted a deal to be the Raiders head coach, embarking on another rebuilding project, perhaps not too different from when he joined the Seahawks back in 2010.

With Carroll back in the coaching world, speculation has been immediate that we could see a Vegas reunion with one of his former quarterbacks.

Our SB Nation colleagues at Silver and Black Pride Had this nugget:

A source close to both Carroll and Wilson told the Silver and Black Pride that they expect Wilson to join the Raiders this season because it makes too much sense. The source explained that Wilson would likely love it and Carroll would likely be on board.

This generally follows in line with this report from The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.

After spending the 2024 season with Pittsburgh SteelersWilson is an unrestricted free agent. The poor finish to the year and an inability to score more than 17 points during their five-game losing streak may give Pittsburgh second thoughts about signing Wilson to a long-term deal after giving him a one-year, veteran-minimum contract. At 36 years old, Wilson is by no means a long-term solution for a poor roster in need of a rebuild, but could be seen as a stopgap solution.

Who’s ready for a revival of “Pete Carroll holding back Russell Wilson” rants, but in a Raiders uniform?

Then there’s the Geno Smith angle that directly affects the Seahawks. Smith’s contract with Seattle expires after 2025, and his cap hit of $44.5 million next season could be a reason the Seahawks could look to move on from him via trade or release.

ESPN’s Brady Henderson floated the idea that Vegas was now a potential trade partner for Seattle if it decides to deal Smith:

Carroll famously committed to Geno at quarterback after Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos in the 2022 season. It’s not conceivable that Smith would be eyed by Carroll if the Seahawks are looking for another quarterback this year.

I didn’t think we’d focus so much on Pete Carroll a year after his departure from Seattle, but now that he’s the head coach and he’s on a team that will go through major roster changes, maybe the Seahawks’ roster decisions will have a kind of impact on the Raiders’ rebuild. Remember, Carroll is only expected to be a head coach and not have front office powers, which is what he had in Seattle. The Raiders’ new general manager is former assistant Buccaneers GM John Spyytek.