Geno Smith, Pete Carroll have 'unfinished business' from Seahawks days

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith and head coach Pete Carroll hope to pick up right where they left off with the Seattle Seahawks.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith talks with head coach Pete Carroll against the Dallas Cowboys. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Geno Smith's biggest reason for wanting to join the Las Vegas Raiders should come as no surprise to any NFL fan.

Back in 2022, then-Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll decided to take a chance on Smith, naming him the starter after trading away perennial Pro Bowler Russell Wilson. Many around the league doubted Carroll, but Smith rewarded his coach's faith in him, guiding the Seahawks to a surprise playoff appearance and winning Comeback Player of the Year. After nearly a decade as a backup, Smith finally found the right situation for him to thrive as a starter.

Well, at least for a time.

After a down year in 2024, the relationship between Smith and the Seahawks reportedly began to deteriorate, with him citing a "disconnect" in contract discussions. That ultimately led to him wanting out, and with the coach who gave him his big break now setting up shop in Sin City, his first choice for a new team was clear.

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll talks with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith against the Arizona Cardinals. / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

"I think there is unfinished business," Smith told reporters Monday in his first media appearance since last month's trade. "And I think, when people think about my story, Coach Carroll was a big part of that. He gave me an opportunity when not many people would have."

Those years together in Seattle have created an inseparable bond between player and coach, so the chance to reunite was incredibly exciting for both of them.

"I mean, not weeks, I'm talking for years playing behind Russell [Wilson], and he just never let up on that thought. And it was so impressive to me," Carroll said. "As soon as we had the opportunity to put him in a position to take the lead, I couldn't wait. And he's been a winner ever since."

Now, the two are tasked with turning around a Raiders team that finished last season 4-13 and at the bottom of the AFC West. While it won't be easy to get the team back on track, the partnership between the two of them will never be in doubt.

"I'll run through a wall for him, and he knows that," Smith said.

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