Pete Carroll on Seahawks Playing Rams on Tuesday: 'Not Gonna Let This Affect Us At All'

Though it's not an ideal situation for his players facing the prospect of playing two games in six days, Carroll doesn't view the decision to postpone this weekend's game in Los Angeles as a disadvantageous situation for Seattle and vowed his team will be ready to play regardless of the day of the week.

With their upcoming road game against the Rams officially rescheduled for Tuesday afternoon at 4 PM PST, the Seahawks could have plenty of reasons to gripe about the COVID-related postponement.

For one, the Rams have been hit far harder by the virus with more than 30 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The Seahawks currently only have two. Giving them two additional days for testing and recovery could allow the majority of those players to have a chance at being active, especially with newly-installed protocols easing the process for vaccinated, asymptomatic players to return to the field.

Secondly, the decision to shift the game two days later will force Seattle to play two games in six days, as the team has a date with Chicago scheduled in Week 16 at Lumen Field. The NFL reportedly doesn't plan to slide that game back.

But while Carroll sympathizes with his players for having to deal with a short turnaround after uncharacteristically playing in the middle of the week, he respects the NFL's decision to move the game for the sake of allowing both teams to have as many healthy players available as possible. As for the argument the Rams will gain unfair competitive advantages, he's not buying it.

"It doesn't have anything to do with that, competitive advantage or disadvantage I don't think," Carroll told reporters on Friday. "We're trying to get as many guys able to play as possible but with the thought of looking after everybody and making the right decisions in the midst of this surge we've kind of seen in the league and around the country and around the world. We're trying to make good decisions and as [is the case] with so many decisions we make, we don't have a lot of background on these things. You just gotta figure out what to do and go for it."

Known for his "always compete" philosophy and optimistic mindset, it shouldn't come as a surprise Carroll has opted to roll with the punches during unprecedented times. While his players may have some warranted frustrations and some chose to express those feelings on social media, he expects them to turn the page and do the same.

Rather than dwell on the fact Seattle will have a tight window between games next week, Carroll chose to look for positives his team can capitalize on over the next few days. The team will have two extra days for injured players such as tackle Brandon Shell and receiver Freddie Swain to get healthier and players will have extra study time to prepare for a critical divisional matchup.

It's the type of exquisite leadership Carroll has shown throughout this pandemic, guiding his team through the crisis as well as any other coach in the business. Like any other game, this will be a championship opportunity, regardless of when it is played.

"We're not gonna let this affect us at all," Carroll stated. "We've already jumped into our adjustment and all that and we'll go play. It's gonna be on a Tuesday instead of a Sunday, that's the only way we're gonna look at the thing... We'll make the most of it."

Prior to the start of the season, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released a memo to all 32 teams indicating games would "not be postponed or rescheduled simply to avoid roster issues caused by injury or illness affecting multiple players." The decision to postpone multiple games this weekend contradicts such a statement.

But the memo also later reads: "We will seek to minimize the burden on the opposing club or clubs. If a club cannot play due to a COVID spike in vaccinated individuals, we will attempt to minimize the competitive and economic burden on both participating teams."

Whether players like the decision to move the game to Tuesday or not, the Rams reportedly have been dealing with an outbreak involving vaccinated players. Among those who have tested positive, the team may have been without cornerback Jalen Ramsey, receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and defensive end Von Miller, who all remain on the COVID-19 list. Several other starters such as Tyler Higbee have been added in the past few days.

By postponing the game, the NFL has at least provided the Rams with a chance to minimize competitive burdens rather than unjustly punishing them with vaccinated players testing positive by extending the window for more players to test out of protocols. The Seahawks could also benefit with extra days for receiver Tyler Lockett and running back Alex Collins, who tested positive on Thursday and initially had symptoms, to also be activated off the COVID list too.

With both teams adapting accordingly, Carroll posed a fascinating question to media members during his press conference: How many of those players will wind up playing that wouldn't have otherwise?

“I'm really curious about how that's gonna work out. We'll learn a lot," Carroll said. "If that doesn’t happen, then I don’t know why we did it. But we’ll see what happens though and wish everybody the best.”

Time will tell whether or not the decision to change the game to Tuesday provides the competitive benefits the NFL hopes it will. Much will be learned over the next 48 hours and if the majority of those players don't make it back, such postponements may never happen again and more significant changes to protocols could be coming in quick order.

Regardless, while Carroll could have easily complained about the Seahawks being victimized by the NFL after handling protocols as well as any team in the league to this point, he understands this pandemic is far bigger than football. Keeping players, coaches, and their families for both teams healthy remains what matters most and if playing on Tuesday allows for that to happen, he's all for it.