Tom Brady and Pete Carroll go way back, although their earliest NFL ties were born out of pain and anguish. Carroll and Brady faced each other in Super Bowl 49, creating one of the most surprising endings to a Super Bowl in NFL history.
Russell Wilson infamously tried to throw a slant on the goalline at the end of the contest, costing the game due to an interception. Carroll and Wilson took the brunt of the blame by choosing against running the football with Marshawn Lynch. Meanwhile, Brady took the glory.
Pete Carroll Sheds Light on Why He Joined the Las Vegas Raiders
Carroll recently explained how the architect of his greatest defeat convinced him to join the Raiders. Speaking on a May 15 edition of “Brock and Salt” via Pro Football Talk, Carroll explained that Brady’s addition to the Raiders opened his eyes.
“When Tom came on board here, it changed my outlook to come here,” Carroll said. “I thought that would be one of the great opportunities of all time to have his presence. His presence is strong. John Spytek and him go back a ton of years, and Johnny holds him in the highest regard.
“So we’re trying to infuse Tom’s mentality, we’re trying to bring it into the organization, because it’s so good and so unique and so one of a kind, I think it helps us to be a one-of-a-kind franchise,” he added.
Of course, fast forward to May, and the Raiders look completely different.
Carroll’s New Team Soaked With Greatest Hits Mashup of 2010s Ideals
When one looks at the new Raiders roster, they cannot help but see the influence delivered by the best of the 2010s. First, there’s Brady. The NFL would not have been the same without the Patriots quarterback who dominated the AFC for the entire decade. Now, he’s a minority owner of the franchise.
Second, there’s Carroll, who went to two Super Bowls and reached the playoffs seven times, dipping below .500 just once between 2012 and 2023.
Carroll has Geno Smith on the team, who has seen plenty of comparisons to Wilson in terms of Carroll’s ability to believe in him when few did, much like he did with Wilson in the quarterback’s earliest moments in the NFL. Smith graded 15th in QB+ by PFSN, setting a baseline expectation with the Raiders.
Sprinkle in the top running back prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft in the form of Ashton Jeanty to take the role of Lynch, and the Raiders already have a Seahawks and Patriots aura to them after just one offseason roster-building cycle.
However, the greatest hits can run stale after a time. Will it work in the modern 2020s NFL?