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Pete Carroll has been lauded by many over the last decade, but he's been panned in recent years. The defensive-minded head coach simply doesn't want his offense creating holes for the defense. As such, he's been firm on the stance that the running game should take precedence over the quarterback. Even with Russell Wilson, one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL under center, Carroll didn't trust him.
According to an article published in The Athletic, the Seahawks' head coach implied that the No. 3 was the problem in the last several years. In Carroll's eyes, he didn't fit the gameplan for the team. Carroll said he needs a game manager who can minimize turnovers. As a gunslinger, the quarterback is simply not that guy.
Carroll said:
"We need a guy that plays the game, moves the football around to the guys that are open and does all of the things that manages the game so we can play great football. Because we're going to win with defense, we're going to win with how we play on special teams and we'll run the football to help the whole thing fit together."
Of course, Wilson is not a game manager. "Let Russ Cook" is a phrase common in the vernacular in Seattle. The phrase "Let Russ Simmer" is what Carroll said he wanted from the quarterback. He says he's always felt that way, implying that he looked on like a disappointed father looking on as their kid made choices he would never make. Continuing, Carroll said:
"That's never changed. That's never been a philosophy we needed to alter other than continue to grow and make it dynamic and present and current. That's what we're looking for. We need to take care of the football."
The post-Pete Carroll era begins for Russell Wilson
Of course, the head coach and the quarterback are not together anymore. The quarterback is now officially a member of the Denver Broncos and on the other side of his introductory press conference. In going to Denver, the quarterback leaves behind one of the most experienced, defensive-minded veteran coaches in the NFL for a rookie head coach on the offensive side of the ball.
Nathaniel Hackett was the offensive coordinator who helped Aaron Rodgers obtain two MVPs in Green Bay. Now, he has Russell Wilson. Will he be the one to fully unlock Wilson and let Russ cook? Most are assuming the answer will be "yes" in 2022.
