Black Monday has arrived across the league, but it didn’t trek its way to the head coaching office of the Seattle Seahawks.
Pete Carroll is safe from getting fired amid rumors of his future, and he addressed the retirement rumblings as well.
Pete Carroll Shares Why He’s All-In on 2024
The 72-year-old coach still believes he’s got plenty of vigor left to extend his coaching career to the 2024 season.
“I’m not worn out,” Carroll said Monday morning on his radio show on KIRO. “I’m not tired. I’m not any of that stuff.”
His Seahawks remained in the playoff picture until the Green Bay Packers snuck away with the seventh and final Wild Card spot. Carroll has guided the Seahawks to back-to-back 9-8 seasons. He believes the youthful talent on the team has Seattle trending up.
“I think this team is going to really move. It’s got a good nucleus and a good element about their makeup. There’s a lot of positives,” Carroll said.
While Carroll is aiming to take on the challenge of getting the Seahawks back to the playoffs and contend for the NFC West title, the Super Bowl-winning head coach admits he is his own worst critic.
“I need to do a better job,” Carroll said regarding his coaching.
Was There a Meeting Planned Between Carroll and the Seahawks?
While Carroll is completely on board with returning to the sidelines for his 15th season with the Seahawks, was there supposed to be a meeting involving him that was going to take place?
Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport on Sunday before the Seahawks-Cardinals contest, there was something set up to discuss the future. And that meeting involved speculation about the head coach’s future.
“The Seahawks always are evaluating and updating contingency plans in the event longtime coach Pete Carroll, now 72 years old, decides to walk away,” Rapoport wrote.
“Seahawks chair Jody Allen usually meets with Carroll and general manager John Schneider in the days after the season concludes — which could be extended by a playoff run, with a win Sunday over the Cardinals plus a Packers loss to the Bears gets Seattle in — any decisions will wait until then.”
There is one more element involving Carroll: his current deal.
“Carroll is under contract through 2024, with an option for 2025 that can be exercised in the offseason,” Rapoport wrote.
How Carroll and Seattle’s 2023 Went
Carroll and the Seahawks started 2023 with a stunning thud. They were outcoached and outplayed by a Los Angeles Rams team expected to be among the league’s worst in the season opener.
Following that 31-13 home debacle, Carroll and the Seahawks would redeem themselves and win three in a row, including beating the eventual NFC North champions Detroit Lions in overtime.
Seattle was then 6-3 at the halfway mark of the season, which featured a 24-20 win over another playoff team in the Cleveland Browns. However, things unraveled from there.
MORE: Seattle Seahawks Depth Chart
The Seahawks would stumble to a four-game slide and found themselves under .500 at 6-7. Seattle got out of its funk with an emotional Monday Night Football win over the Philadelphia Eagles to remain in the playoff hunt 20-17, which saw backup quarterback Drew Lock keep the team afloat.
Still, Seattle ends the season with a 3-5 mark and will miss the postseason for the second time in three seasons. With Carroll aiming to return for 2024, fans offered less-than-positive reactions to the decision.
“I don’t trust the current coaching staff to get the most out of those players. The offense is too often poorly called and ran, and Pete Carroll hasn’t had a good defense since [Barack] Obama was president. It’s time to start over and lean into youth,” the fan posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Another fan shared how for Seattle, it’s “Time for a nice young offensive coach.”
Finally, one more fan believes it’s time for Carroll to call it a career.
“He needs to go man. Please Pete Carroll just retire. It’s time,” the fan shared.
Still, Carroll already has his first idea lined up ahead of the 2024 season.
“We’ve got to get together and start talking about next steps and what’s up. This is that time,” Carroll said on his show. “We talk about stuff all along, but now is the time you kick into the business mode, and we’ve got to get things organized.”
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