At the very least, there is reported interest in Wilson signing with the Raiders and reuniting with Pete Carroll.
The Las Vegas Raiders have turned to a Seattle Seahawks legend to be their next head coach.
Super Bowl champion Pete Carroll has agreed to a deal to be the Raiders head coach, embarking on another rebuilding project perhaps not too dissimilar from when he joined the Seahawks back in 2010.
With Carroll back in the coaching world, speculation has been immediate that we could see a Vegas reunion with one of his previous quarterbacks.
Our SB Nation colleagues at Silver and Black Pride had this nugget:
A source close to both Carroll and Wilson told Silver and Black Pride that they expect Wilson to join the Raiders this season because it makes too much sense. The source explained Wilson would likely love it and Carroll would probably be on board.
This generally follows in line with this report from The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.
With Pete Carroll taking over the Raiders, one name I’ve heard to watch at QB: Russell Wilson.
They’ve mended fences, per source, and Wilson could be a stopgap while the Raiders develop a long-term answer.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) January 24, 2025
After spending the 2024 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wilson is an unrestricted free agent. The poor finish to the year and an inability to score more than 17 points during their five-game losing streak may give Pittsburgh second thoughts about re-signing Wilson to a long-term deal after giving him a one-year, veteran minimum contract. At 36 years old, Wilson is by no means a long-term solution for a bad roster in need of a rebuild, but could be seen as a stopgap solution.
Who’s ready for a revival of “Pete Carroll is holding Russell Wilson back” opinions, but in a Raiders uniform?
Then there’s the Geno Smith angle, which directly impacts the Seahawks. Smith’s contract with Seattle expires after 2025, and his $44.5 million cap hit next season may be a reason why the Seahawks could look to move on from him via trade or release.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson floated the idea of Vegas now being a potential trade partner for Seattle if it decides to deal Smith:
If the Seahawks and Geno Smith can’t agree on an extension early this offseason, Las Vegas would seem to be logical trade option now that Carroll is there. The Raiders need a QB and Carroll has an affinity for Smith, once calling him one of his all-time favorite players.
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) January 24, 2025
Carroll famously committed to Geno as quarterback after Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos in the 2022 offseason. It isn’t unthinkable to believe Smith would be eyed by Carroll if the Seahawks look for another quarterback this year.
I didn’t think we’d be focusing this much on Pete Carroll a year after his departure from Seattle, but now that he’s head coach and he’s on a team that will be undergoing major roster changes, perhaps the Seahawks’ roster decisions will have some sort of impact on the Raiders’ rebuild. Keep in mind that Carroll is expected to only be the head coach and not have front office powers, which is what he had in Seattle. The Raiders’ new general manager is former assistant Buccaneers GM John Spytek.