RENTON — It's probably far-fetched to think that the next Seahawks coach will replicate the success Pete Carroll had here. It might even be fanciful to think that any of the next five (10?) Seahawks coaches can do it, either.
Nobody in franchise history was able to match the regular-season or postseason win count he had, and his 14 years in Seattle might just land him in the Hall of Fame.
All of that is true. And all of that should be appreciated by fans of this football team. But none of that means that the Seahawks brass should have stuck with Carroll for a 15th year. The time had come to move on.
In a sense, Carroll admitted that Wednesday, even if he did not intend to. Less than two hours after it was reported that he and the team had amicably agreed to part ways (although it didn't sound as if Carroll was thrilled about it), Pete was asked what went wrong over the past couple of seasons, each of which ended with the Seahawks going 9-8.
"We lost our edge, really, the edge to be great, running the football and playing defense," Carroll said.
You'd be hard-pressed to argue this doesn't fall on the 72-year-old. Either the coach was unable to create that edge in the locker room — or the man who has the final say in personnel decisions didn't put the right players on the field.
No, Carroll never held the dual title of coach and general manager in Seattle. The latter belongs to John Schneider, whom Pete hired shortly after he joined the Seahawks before the 2010 season.
And though the two enjoyed one of the more illustrious partnerships in the NFL over the past decade-plus, the last word — at least on the most significant matters — belonged to Carroll. And it's been a minute since he has bred elite results.
Just three times in the past nine seasons have the Seahawks won a playoff game, and none of those wins occurred in any of the past four years. That simply isn't acceptable given the standard that has been set in Seattle — even if Carroll was the one who helped set it.
What likely helped bring Carroll's seat to a boil was that the Seahawks have struggled so much on defense during these middling seasons. It was that side of the ball — Pete's specialty — that vaulted them to a Super Bowl win in 2014 and trip back the following season. But when it comes to total defense over the past four years? They have finished 21st (2020), 28th (2021), 26th (2022) and 30th (2023).
This is not the byproduct of trading quarterback Russell Wilson after he expressed his desire to leave. This is not the result of running back or offensive-line injuries, which have hampered the Seahawks. This was either a personnel problem or a coaching problem, and Pete was on the hook for both.
This does not mean that the 12s shouldn't be grateful for everything Carroll has done here. He established an inimitable football culture in Seattle and produced unprecedented results. It doesn't mean the brass won't regret choosing not to bring him back, either. He tallied 11 winning seasons with the Seahawks. But it makes sense to see what Schneider can do with full autonomy. Even Pete can agree to that.
How excited are you to see just what John does with this team?
"It's why [the parting] happened. You want to know, because I want him to have this chance," said Carroll, who will remain in an advisory role but is uncertain as to what that will entail. "It's been 14 years; he's been waiting for his opportunity and he deserves it. And he's great at what he does. And now he's going to find out, find out, big fella. But he deserves this moment, and I was cheerleading for him."
All that said, let's take a moment to celebrate what Carroll did in Seattle. He posted a regular-season record of 137-89-1 and a playoff record of 10-9. He helped lure Marshawn Lynch here. He oversaw the drafting of Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, Bobby Wagner, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, among many other standouts.
He brought the Seahawks their only Super Bowl win, took them to another and maintained humility and grace throughout the 14-year run. Sure, there were moments he'd like to have back — most notably a certain pass play in Phoenix. But he is still royalty in the Emerald City.
That won't change. But this change was necessary. Pete's time here was legendary — just as his time was up.
