Pete Carroll has plenty of connections to help him bring the Las Vegas Raiders back to prominence.
With his successful tenure as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks from 2010-23, Carroll’s wealth of experience gives him familiar options in terms of his coaching staff and roster.
The most notable connection of all, however, has to be quarterback Russell Wilson.
Wilson played 10 seasons with the Seahawks, all of which came during Carroll’s time as head coach. The duo proceeded to dominate the league together, posting a record of 104-53-1 and going to two Super Bowls, winning one.
After being traded to the Denver Broncos in 2022 and enduring a disappointing stint in the Mile High City, Wilson rebounded nicely with the Pittsburgh Steelers, throwing for 2,482 yards and 16 touchdowns as he guided the team to the playoffs.
Now that Carroll has returned to an NFL sideline, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe has pitched an idea suggesting Wilson as a bridge quarterback for the Raiders as they continue to develop a long-term plan at the position.
With Pete Carroll taking over the Raiders, one name I’ve heard to watch at QB: Russell Wilson.
They’ve mended fences, per source, and Wilson could be a stopgap while the Raiders develop a long-term answer.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) January 24, 2025
Wilson is currently set to be a free agent this season, and his services will likely come cheaper than most of the available options. However, Pittsburgh has the chance to retain him if they like the stability he brought to their own quarterback room.
If the latter is the case, Carroll and the Raiders could pivot towards Justin Fields, who served as Wilson’s understudy in Pittsburgh this season and started the first month while the veteran was recovering from injury.
The Raiders have plenty of choices to go through with Carroll now calling the shots, and there is arguably no one who knows his style of play more than Wilson.
