Pete Carroll: 3 reasons for Seattle Seahawks to bring him back

As this disappointing season draws to a close, there is one man in the Seattle Seahawks organization whose name draws more attention every day.  Whether it’s people who are calling for his head or those who rush in to defend him on the basis of his successful tenure in Seattle, Pete Carroll is the hot name in the public eye.

The Seahawks are 5-10 with two games to go, and even if they win both (finishing 7-10) it will be the worst record the team has earned in ten years.  The failure of this season has fans talking about what’s best for the team moving forward.   It’s time to break it down.

The Seahawk fan base is fairly evenly split on the Carroll question:  whether to bring him back for 2022 or push him out to replace him with someone younger.

Reasons the Seattle Seahawks should bring back Pete Carroll

I personally think it’s time for change, but it’s only fair to properly analyze the pros of keeping Pete Carroll around.  After all, he is the most successful coach the Seattle franchise has ever seen and it isn’t really close. Carroll has gotten the Seahawks to the playoffs in 9 of the 12 seasons he has been the coach. Before Carroll arrived Seattle went to the playoffs 10 times in 44 years.

I will soon look at the reasons not to bring Pete Carroll back next season, but for now, let’s discuss why it’s good for the organization for Carroll to continue as head coach. (Possibly just without the coordinators that Seattle currently has.)

Positive Locker Room Culture

None of us really knows what the attitude inside the Seahawks locker room is, but it seems that Pete Carroll has the ability to keep the team positive even through the adversity of this season.  The Seahawks have continued to fight and play hard through their worst season in a decade, and I believe at least some of that stems from Carroll’s positive attitude.  Bringing in a new coach means that there’s a chance the locker room energy isn’t as high in 2022.

Cornerback Whisperer

DJ Reed is playing out of his mind right now, and Sidney Jones has recently stepped it up big time.  While Reed may not return in 2022 as he will be a free agent this offseason, keep Tre Brown in mind.  He was playing great football for the few games he got to start this year.  Carroll is known for being an excellent cornerback developer, and without him, I don’t see Reed (if he’s back), Jones or Brown being as successful in 2022.

Shane Waldron gets to stick around

If Pete Carroll steps down as head coach, most of the coaching staff will likely get cleaned out with him.  This would mean that Shane Waldron, after just one season, would end his stint as Seahawks offensive coordinator.  I’m not entirely optimistic about Waldron’s offensive scheme, but we have to recognize that he’s only had 11 games with Russell Wilson.

Also, before the season started, Waldron said that it would take two seasons to fully implement his scheme, so 2021 represents a half-Schottenheimer, half-Waldron offense.  I would like to see Waldron back for one more season, which won’t happen if Carroll goes.