Former Seattle Seahawks and current Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll might be facing his old team much sooner than expected. That also means the Seahawks would go head-to-head with Geno Smith for the first time since he was traded this offseason after three seasons as the franchise's starting quarterback.
In an interview on Seattle Sports 710 AM's Brock & Salk radio show, Carroll unveiled a nugget of information just a tad early. The 2025 NFL schedule is set to release on Wednesday, May 14, and leaks are always rampant. But nobody could've expected one to come straight from Carroll.
“Hey what a coincidence, huh?” Carroll said, almost excitedly. “How about the opening game of the preseason?”
Carroll almost immediately backtracked: "Is that out yet? ... Wait till you see.”
Coming from Carroll, that's essentially all the confirmation fans need to know the legendary Seahawks coach will either be back in Seattle as an opponent for the first time since his departure or will host his former team in his new stadium. Smith also being on the Raiders adds another interesting wrinkle.
Carroll also discussed his exit from the Seahawks further in the interview, stating he knew the franchise was "about to face one of the bigger changes, shifts" since he had been the head coach. He added that "it was really John [Schneider]'s turn to take over." Carroll reinforced that it was a mutual decision to part ways because the club was in flux.
"John got his chance, and I told him the first day we ever talked that I was going to help him become the best general manager in the history of professional sports. That was a little lofty … but I meant it, really. I think that through that time he has developed, and it was kind of his turn. There was a lot of big changes that were gonna happen and that were going to have to come, and I thought we might not agree on all those changes."
After 14 seasons as the Seahawks' ultimate leader and one year away from the NFL, he will now have a reason to root against Seattle, even if it is just preseason. When it comes to preseason storylines, however, that's about as sensational as it gets.
