One might feel safe in the assumption that by the end of the 2025 season, former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll will have talked Tom Brady and the Las Vegas Raiders brass into signing every former Seattle player. Ahead of Week 7, Vegas did it again.
The Raiders had already traded for quarterback Geno Smith this past offseason, as well as signing safety/linebacker Jamal Adams, linebacker Jon Rhattigan, and offensive tackle Stone Forsythe. Now, Las Vegas has signed offensive lineman McClendon Curtis.
The problem for the Raiders is that none of those players, except, oddly, Adams, is very good. One reason that Vegas is off to such a bad start is that they have bet on discarded Seahawks. Carroll's loyalty is a great thing for a human, but not for a football coach.
Raiders fans might be shaking their heads at Pete Carroll adding so many former Seattle Seahawks players
As for Curtis, he went undrafted out of Chattanooga and originally signed with Las Vegas, and made the practice squad. Seattle then scooped him up, and the offensive lineman spent 2023 and 2024 playing his home games at Lumen Field. He didn't play much, though, and when he did, it was only on special teams.
In other words, Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders signed a player to the practice squad for the sheer reason of potentially playing in a real game in the third phase of the game. That doesn't make much sense. If the hope is that Curtis will get offensive line reps, that would be a mistake.
It won't be a bigger mistake than keeping Geno Smith, however. The quarterback leads the NFL in interceptions since the beginning of last season, and he's been atrocious this year. He's tossed seven touchdown passes but 10 interceptions. His quarterback rating is 77.6, 31st in the league.
The problem is that many Seattle Seahawks fans probably (and should) want Pete Carroll to succeed. He's a positive person, and seems to be a good one, too. 12s don't want Carroll beating Seattle, of course, but if he defeats other teams, so be it.
He isn't, though, and he isn't getting much help (again, except Jamal Adams) from the former Seahawks the team has acquired. 12s might be happy their favorite team has Sam Darnold over Geno Smith, but Smith possibly costing Carroll his job isn't good, either.