It didn’t take long for Russell Wilson to the Las Vegas Raiders to pick up a full head of steam. From nearly the moment reporting confirmed Pete Carroll would become the franchise’s next head coach, dots were connected back to Wilson. Winning a ring together in Seattle, Wilson could be the perfect bridge QB to begin Carroll’s tenure.
Furthering the idea was ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler during a Friday afternoon hit on NFL Live.
“I reached out to a few former Carroll lieutenants in Seattle,” Fowler said. “Both expect Carroll to be a great fit in Las Vegas, but they also both pointed out that they would not be surprised if Carroll reached out to Russell Wilson, possibly trying to sign the free agent [and] make amends for what went wrong at the end of that Seattle era.”
The Raiders need a quarterback to compete in a tough AFC West. Without a top-three draft pick and limited free agent options, Wilson makes as much sense as anyone to court. The combination of playing out West, in a division he knows (including the chance to get revenge on Sean Payton twice per season), for Carroll and minority owner Tom Brady are strong selling points. Las Vegas also has plenty of cap space to sign Wilson to a multi-year deal that could be worth more than $30 million per season.
Wilson and Carroll split after the 2021 season, the Seahawks trading their long-time franchise quarterback to the Denver Broncos in a blockbuster trade. It’s not fully clear the level of input Carroll had in the decision but he was the team’s kingmaker, not GM John Schneider. So much so that when the Seahawks canned Carroll after 2023, Schneider was viewed as having roster control for the first time in his decade-long tenure.
While that could be viewed as a stumbling block, Fowler notes the two have made amends.
“One of them even pointed out that Carroll and Wilson began to rekindle their relationship about a year ago or so,” he said. “Wilson’s always been intrigued by wearing the black and silver.”
It’s a point Wilson himself referenced earlier this week. Joining the Pat McAfee Show, Wilson said he and former Seattle Seahawks’ teammates that included CB Richard Sherman and LB Bobby Wagner took a trip to visit Carroll shortly after his dismissal.
If Wilson and Carroll’s relationship was still icy, that wouldn’t have happened.
So far, it’s largely been speculation from media and unnamed sources. Free agency is still roughly seven weeks away and Wilson’s repeatedly expressed a desire to remain with Pittsburgh, indicating to McAfee early contract talks have begun with the Steelers. But the longer he goes without a deal in Pittsburgh, the more buzz there will be about Las Vegas.
