Pete Carroll’s future with the Las Vegas Raiders is suddenly “very much in doubt,” and it’s the kind of headline that still lands differently in Seattle, where Carroll remains the defining coach of the modern Seahawks era. A December 20 report from NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero framed the Raiders’ season as a full-scale mess — and put Carroll’s job squarely under the microscope.
Key details Seahawks fans should know right now:
- The Raiders are 2-12 and have already fired two coordinators (OC Chip Kelly and special teams coordinator Tom McMahon).
- Geno Smith — Carroll’s handpicked QB reunion project after his Seattle run — has thrown 14 interceptions.
- Owner Mark Davis is expected to weigh input from across the building, including minority owner Tom Brady, but the report stressed Davis remains “his own man.”
For Seahawks fans, the connective tissue is obvious: Carroll built a Super Bowl winner in Seattle and left as the franchise’s winningest coach, then quickly pivoted back into the AFC West with a familiar quarterback.
Report Spotlights Why Pete Carroll’s Raiders Tenure Is Suddenly Under Pressure
The NFL Network write-up didn’t sugarcoat it: “What hasn’t gone wrong this season in Las Vegas?” It pointed to the team’s record, Smith’s turnover issues, and the coordinator firings as the kind of cascading instability that typically ends with an owner making a bigger move.
Smith’s presence is especially notable from a Seahawks angle because Seattle directly fed this storyline. The Seahawks traded Smith to the Raiders for a 2025 third-round pick, reuniting him with Carroll, a move that looked like a shortcut to relevance at the time.
Instead, the reunion has become part of the pressure point.
And while the Raiders’ internal dynamic is different than anything Carroll dealt with in Seattle, the reporting suggests Davis is listening — including to Brady — as the organization heads toward a pivotal offseason.
What It Means for Seahawks Fans Watching From Seattle
Seattle moved on from Carroll in January 2024 and set a new direction.
But Seahawks fans don’t stop caring about the face of a golden era, and there are a few real reasons this matters in Seattle:
- The Carroll-Smith chapter is still a Seahawks story. The QB who resurrected his career in Seattle is now tied to Carroll’s success (or failure) in Vegas. And, for a large part of the season, fans directly measured how Sam Darnold performed with how Smith did in Las Vegas.
- A “hot seat” ending creates ripple effects. If the Raiders do move on, it reshapes the AFC West and the league-wide coaching carousel, and Carroll’s next step becomes instant Seattle talk radio fodder.
- The Brady factor is real. NFL Network’s reporting emphasized Brady’s influence and expected increased presence as decisions get closer, the kind of power dynamic Carroll didn’t have to navigate in Seattle.
What Happens Next
The report made it clear nothing is decided yet, but that the decision window is coming fast once the season ends.
For Seahawks fans, it’s a familiar late-December feeling: Carroll’s name is back in the league’s biggest “what now?” conversation, just wearing different colors.
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