Ever since Pete Carroll became the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, rumors have swirled about reuniting with former quarterback Russell Wilson. The marriage makes sense. The Raiders need a quarterback, Wilson is a pending free agent, and whatever animosity there was between the two as Wilson was dealt out of Seattle has seemingly been patched up.
But Wilson isn’t thinking about life after Pittsburgh. He remains focused on re-signing with the Steelers.
“Pete’s going to be a great coach, obviously,” Wilson told the Associated Press’ Mark Long at the 2025 Pro Bowl. “He’s great at what he does. But I’m focused on the Steelers.”
Speaking to the Pat McAfee Show last month, Wilson praised Carroll and Mike Tomlin for being two important coaches in his career. He also noted Wilson and ex-Seahawks teammates visited with Carroll after he was let go by Seattle following the 2023 season.
In his introductory press conference, Carroll punted when asked about interest in Wilson, noting he was focused on building out his coaching staff before thinking about free agent options.
Wilson has been of a one-track mind since the Steelers’ season wrapped up. He’s continually stated a desire to re-sign with Pittsburgh, citing a belief the team is close to contending and his strong relationship with head coach Mike Tomlin.
The Steelers have been receptive to a return, owner Art Rooney II keeping that door open and aiming to bring back one of the team’s 2024 starting quarterbacks. Local and national media believes Justin Fields being retained is more likely.
If Wilson and the Steelers can’t get a deal done, heading west to Las Vegas is a logical fall-back option. It’d be difficult for Wilson to play on his third team in three years, something no player and certainly not someone in his mid-30s wants to do, but linking back up with Carroll – and potentially former OC Darrell Bevell – would create as smooth a transition as possible.
It seems Wilson will only consider external options once the door to Pittsburgh shuts closed. For now, it remains open.
