Pete Carroll will play Raiders starters vs. Seahawks backups in preseason opener

It's almost customary in the NFL for teams to sparingly, if at all, play their starters at the beginning of the preseason. If they do get on the field, it's usually only for a drive or two.

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has already said he won't be playing the starters in Thursday's preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders — now led by former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and starting quarterback Geno Smith.

But Carroll, in his first season with the Raiders, appeared to indicate he will be playing his starters on Thursday. It'll be the first time Carroll and Smith are returning to Lumen Field as opponents since departing from Seattle, and it appears they want to make a statement.

"Everybody's live, everybody's ready to go," Carroll said on Tuesday in response to a question about the starters playing, per KTNV's Nick Walters.

Jan 7, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll talks with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) during the first half of the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Carroll, 73, was also asked about his return to Seattle for the first time as an opponent after parting ways with the Seahawks following the 2023 season. He took a year away from the NFL before being hired by the Raiders.

"It's the only game we got, it just happens to be in Seattle," Carroll said. "I loved my time in Seattle, and love the fans and the people that we met and dealt with and competed with. But it's a game for us — we're going to go play ball."

Although Smith was only the starter in Seattle for three seasons, he was with the team from 2019-24. The Seahawks traded him this offseason for a third-round pick that was spent on Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in the 2025 NFL Draft. Milroe is currently listed as QB3 on the Seahawks' unofficial depth chart and will likely see extensive action on Thursday.

If the Raiders and Carroll do play their starters, it will likely be for a short time. That still gives Smith time to try and put points on the board as an opponent in 2025.

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