Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll Are Hurtling Toward Divorce

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Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll Are Hurtling Toward Divorce After Lost 2021 Season​

Few splits are abrupt. Most of the time, you begin to see cracks, there are sometimes moments of redemption and then the bottom falls out.

With the Seattle Seahawks, it feels as though the Russell Wilson era is about to collapse, which could result in Wilson and head coach Pete Carroll going their separate ways beyond what increasingly appears to be a lost 2021 season.

The first major crack, of course, came in February when the seven-time Pro Bowl quarterback said he was "frustrated at getting hit too much." On The Dan Patrick Show, he also expressed a desire to be more involved in personnel decisions. The trade chatter grew from there, and it was only really forgotten when Wilson started the 2021 season splendidly.

But now? The Seahawks are 3-7, Wilson is coming off the most serious injury of his career, only a handful of quarterbacks with as many starts as him have been under more pressure than he has, and he's posted a horrendous 55.6 passer rating across consecutive back-breaking double-digit-point losses since his return.

ProFootballTalk @ProFootballTalk
Russell Wilson wanted out of Seattle after a 12-4 season. What’s he going to want after this 3-7 abomination comes to an end?


As for Carroll? He became so frustrated with the state of affairs that he uncharacteristically cut off his postgame press conference Sunday and abruptly left the podium. Carroll being Carroll, he did return and answer more questions from the media, but it was a clear sign there's acrimony in Seattle.

You have to wonder if Wilson's non-trade request from last offseason will turn into a real trade request next offseason. This will likely be the first losing season of his career, and it will almost surely mark the seventh consecutive season in which the Seahawks have fallen short of the NFC Championship Game. Wilson turns 33 next week and is now a 10-year veteran.

His left tackle, Duane Brown, is 36 and slated to hit free agency in March. Ditto for right tackle Brandon Shell. Oh, and they're without a first-round pick in next year's draft thanks to their 2020 trade for safety Jamal Adams, who has one interception and zero sacks in 10 games this year.

Wilson has been sacked 414 times since coming into the league in 2012—a span during which no other quarterback has taken more than 345 sacks.

And every season feels the same: amazing start leading to steady decline.

In 2019, he posted a 118.2 rating as the Seahawks started 7-2 and then posted a 90.7 rating as they finished 4-3.

Last year, he was an MVP front-runner as the team started 6-1. He was sacked 2.7 times per game and posted a 120.8 passer rating during that run. After that, he was sacked 3.1 times per game as his rating dropped to 91.8 during Seattle's final nine regular-season games. He then took five sacks and was hit 10 times in the Seahawks' first-round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

This year, he posted a 129.9 rating in his first four games but has a 63.1 rating ever since.

Nothing's changing, and it's hard to see the team getting away from its frugal habit of bargain-hunting for mediocre veteran offensive linemen who unsurprisingly deliver mediocre results in support of Wilson.

Could you fault him for deciding he wants to attempt to get back to the Super Bowl in a new setting? The Seahawks don't look remotely like a contender, and there's a strong chance that doesn't change significantly in the months to come.

And if that happens, would anyone expect the league's oldest head coach to stick around for an inevitable rebuild? It's unlikely Carroll would want anything to do with the post-Wilson era at the age of 70, and Brown probably wouldn't sign on for that either.

It's easy to see those dominoes falling, quickly.

Brock Huard @BrockHuard
It’s time for the football people in SEA to be honest about the shortcomings in scheme & personnel. The Seahawks inability to pattern read, cover & finish on D is so, so hard to watch. The Seahawks passivity upfront & hesitancy of Russell is equally challenging to digest.

It's jarring because it wasn't long ago the Seahawks were supposed to be a dynasty. But the offense is broken, and it doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt considering its failures under Carroll and former coordinator Brian Schottenheimer the last few seasons. They were plagued by a predictable, stale, run-heavy approach then, and little has changed despite some early signs that they'd take off and "let Russ cook" with new coordinator Shane Waldron in 2021.

They still can't convert third downs, and they still can't consistently produce big plays despite Wilson's undeniable talent.

Of course, some of the blame belongs with Wilson, but it's also true that he'd have more support elsewhere. And we know that in the right environment, he has Super Bowl-level ability.

Barring an epic turnaround in the weeks to come, don't be surprised if he attempts to make an exit in the new year, or if Carroll does the same.

We may be looking at the fall of an almost-dynasty in the Pacific Northwest.
 

oldnotdead

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I wouldn't be surprised to see Carroll retire in January.

The holes are so many and deep that Russell IMO won't want to waste the rest of his career waiting on a re-build. I think he will be on the trading block to teams he views as potential contenders. It's easy to see him in Pittsburgh, or even GB. The Hawks could get multiple 1st round picks to rebuild with. IMO this is probably the last year with Wilson in the NFCW and perhaps in the NFC altogether.

I think the covid stink on Rodgers is the last straw for him. He will be 38 and still tradeable albeit with perhaps only one contract to the trading team.

SF will still be rebuilding next year so that means the Ram's primary opposition will be AZ. Bryce Perkins will be an ERFA next year so it's easy to see him taking over as #2 QB next year if he continues to develop. I expect Stafford to come out in early season form. With the bye time, I also expect the OL to return to early season form as Carberry now has film to know what to expect from the opposition the rest of the way. If both Stafford and the OL can return to form the Rams can run the table this year.
 

Flint

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When a qb gets hit a lot and takes sacks people start pointing at the oline and the coaching staff’s inability to protect but outside the building we don’t really know whose at fault. Russell runs around back there which makes it hard to protect him if you don’t know where he’s going to be.
We’ve seen it with our own qb situation, nobody wants to call out the qb cuz they can be sensitive but if the ball comes out quicker the qb doesn’t get hit. Stafford has had options available to him quickly but clearly wants more, the pocket collapses and everyone blames the line. Wilson likes to go deep and is good at it but also tends to hold the ball. He has good mobility but not the speed of the younger guys like Lamar. So does Russ even know what he wants? When he was “cooking” it didn’t really work either. Maybe this is just who Russ is, in some respects Stafford is the same guy he’s always been for better or worse, maybe the same is true of Wilson.
 

Elmgrovegnome

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“7th consecutive season in which the Seahawks have fallen short of the NFC Championship Game. Wilson turns 33 next week and is now a 10-year veteran.

His left tackle, Duane Brown, is 36 and slated to hit free agency in March. Ditto for right tackle Brandon Shell. Oh, and they're without a first-round pick in next year's draft thanks to their 2020 trade for safety Jamal Adams, who has one interception and zero sacks in 10 games this year.”


And for some inexplicable reason the NFL Network and other pundits will have the Seahawks ranked as a top ten team next summer……because “you can never count out Pete Carroll and the assemblage of offensive talent in Seattle.”

Actually you can and it’s time to let go of the dream. It’s shattered to pieces finally. The 12th man bandwagoners can return to their holes and go back to their real lives and hopefully not return for another 20 years or so.
 

Elmgrovegnome

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When a qb gets hit a lot and takes sacks people start pointing at the oline and the coaching staff’s inability to protect but outside the building we don’t really know whose at fault. Russell runs around back there which makes it hard to protect him if you don’t know where he’s going to be.
We’ve seen it with our own qb situation, nobody wants to call out the qb cuz they can be sensitive but if the ball comes out quicker the qb doesn’t get hit. Stafford has had options available to him quickly but clearly wants more, the pocket collapses and everyone blames the line. Wilson likes to go deep and is good at it but also tends to hold the ball. He has good mobility but not the speed of the younger guys like Lamar. So does Russ even know what he wants? When he was “cooking” it didn’t really work either. Maybe this is just who Russ is, in some respects Stafford is the same guy he’s always been for better or worse, maybe the same is true of Wilson.
It’s all Russ. Pete’s been telling him that for several years and his Olinemen have been saying how hard it is to protect him.

Russ is well past his prime. He’s not as quick or fast and he doesn’t have a defense to bail him out any longer.

You either adapt or die. Russ refuses to adapt and maybe justifiably so because of his height. I’m not so sure he can pull off being a pocket passer.

My only concern is that he gets traded to a team like the Saints.

Russ has come across as a spoiled kid through all of this imo. He wants it his way because he thinks that is the only way that will work, then blames others when it doesn’t.
 

Rams43

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I don’t see Wilson playing into his 40’s like Brady.

RW depends far too much on his legs to make that possible.

But he sure could be effective on a talented contender for a few seasons yet. I’m certain that he will leave the NFC West, hopefully to an AFC team.
 

den-the-coach

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But he sure could be effective on a talented contender for a few seasons yet. I’m certain that he will leave the NFC West, hopefully to an AFC team.
I could see him in Denver with the Broncos and their new Head Coach in 2022 Kellen Moore.
 

Pancake

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Maybe if he processed information faster he could throw the ball sooner. He can't and lives off turning so many plays into school lot ball by running around until one of his WR finds a backdoor. Never was a fan of his style play at all.
 

Merlin

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How bad is homey if he can't put up an offense with Wilson. And I'm not talking Carroll here, though the hire was his fault. :laugh4:
 

PressureD41

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Fuck gum chewing carol and his lame ass smirks on the sideline...#HesOverRated
 

PressureD41

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Can the Jags fire Myers so the Shithawks can open their purses for him!!!
 

Ram65

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Wilson hasn't had the offensive line that can give him protection.

If he goes to a team that has some weapons and a decent offensive line he will be hard to stop.
 

CGI_Ram

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I don’t know how much I buy into lack of support around Wilson… at times he’s had good pieces, see current Metcalf and Lockett combo. Thats pretty damn solid duo.

Other times, I do buy into it. His oline has been weak for a while… and the pieces around him disjointed.

Metcalf, as good as he is, might be a new version of Terrell Owens which brings good and bad things.
 

dieterbrock

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In defense of Wilson, it's mind numbing to try and understand the choices they've made at OC in the last 5-7 years.
That said, there's nothing crazier than a QB who has demanded, (and succeeded), to be the highest paid QB in the game, who in return bitches about the team not bringing in the talent he needs.
Here's what I see going down, the NY Giants blow up the franchise this year. New GM, new HC, and they would match up perfectly. Sure Seattle would want him to go AFC but I think they'll be looking at a franchise re-boot themselves
 

AZRams

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I don’t know how much I buy into lack of support around Wilson… at times he’s had good pieces, see current Metcalf and Lockett combo. Thats pretty damn solid duo.

Other times, I do buy into it. His oline has been weak for a while… and the pieces around him disjointed.

Metcalf, as good as he is, might be a new version of Terrell Owens which brings good and bad things.
Their line has been garbage since the Unger-Graham trade, even with adding Brown.
 

OldSchool

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Bronco's or one of the New York teams make a lot of sense.