Pete Carroll will always be a beloved former member of the Seattle Seahawks. He led the team to its first championship and was highly successful overall in his 14 seasons. Plus, he came across as a really nice person.
But one aspect of Carroll's personality led to his downfall in Seattle. He is far too loyal. That is a great trait as a human being, but for a football coach, it can get a person fired. Just ask Carroll.
He held on to coordinators too long and stayed with some players he shouldn't have. This trend has continued with his new team, the Las Vegas Raiders. Since Carroll became Vegas's head coach this past offseason, the team has added former Seahawks Geno Smith, Jamal Adams, and Stone Forsythe.
Raiders fans are going to be reminded what led to Pete Carroll's dismissal with the Seattle Seahawks
Forsythe is the issue here. He shouldn't be playing in the NFL. He's a big guy, but he was a sixth-round draft pick for a reason. He isn't athletic enough to keep edge rushers away from his quarterback, and teams will take advantage.
In 2024, with the Seattle Seahawks, Forsythe was forced to play because of so many right tackle injuries in front of him. He was terrible. He allowed 35 quarterback pressures, which was 24th-worst in the league. The problem is that he only played in six games, and every player ranked worse appeared in at least five more games.
Still, Carroll, due to his tragic sense of loyalty, got the Raiders to add Forsythe after he was released by the New York Giants ahead of the season. Unfortunately for Las Vegas, its starting left tackle, Kolton Miller, hurt his ankle and will miss at least four games. Forsythe is his replacement.
The Raiders were already struggling offensively (Geno Smith's seven interceptions were certainly hurtful), but playing Forsythe isn't good. The Raiders should have made a better decision to acquire a backup offensive tackle, but trusted Pete Carroll and his faith in Stone Forsythe.
The bad part for Carroll, Smith, and Raiders fans is that they are about to be reminded why the Seahawks didn't want Forsythe back and why the awful Giants let him go before this season.
In Week 5, the Raiders play an ascending Indianapolis Colts team with a good young edge rusher in Laiatu Latu. Indy should line up Latu over Forsythe's side and just let him play freely. That would end badly for Pete Carroll and his team, one that is likely to be 1-4 after Week 5.