Seahawks' Pete Carroll dismisses doubters in the wake of Russell Wilson's absence

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The Seattle Seahawks enter the 2022 season without their offensive glue, quarterback Russell Wilson. Naturally, Las Vegas doesn’t think Seattle has what it takes to compete. 

Head coach Pete Carroll, entering his 14th season with Seahawks, doesn’t care for outside opinions on his team.

"I don’t feel like that at all," he told reporters Monday via ESPN. "I don’t feel like any part of any of that is what’s true other than the fact that that’s what people think. I’m not in that business now."

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Head coach Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks looks on from the sidelines during the Steelers game on Aug. 13, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (Justin Berl/Getty Images)

Multiple outlets have the Seahawks’ over/under win total set at 5.5 games this season, making them one of the worst projected teams in the NFL. 

The main reason for that is Geno Smith will now be the starting quarterback for Carroll, which is why evaluators believe there will be a steep drop from Wilson’s play. Playing for the Seahawks for the past two seasons, Smith started just three games, all coming last season when Wilson was hurt, where he went 1-2. He did have a 68.4 completion percentage with five touchdowns and one interception in four games. 

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The Seahawks also landed Drew Lock in the trade to the Denver Broncos for Wilson, and he will back up Smith. However, that quarterback room is likely fluid as Carroll attempts to improve on a 7-10 record a season ago with his most important position getting a downgrade. 

It also doesn’t help that Seattle plays in an NFC West that is loaded with the Super Bowl-champion Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, who the Rams had to beat to get to the Super Bowl, and the Arizona Cardinals. 

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is congratulated by coach Pete Carroll after scoring against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California, Oct. 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

Nonetheless, Carroll is simply focused on providing the best coaching possible to the team he has now. 

"I’m in the business of helping these guys get ready to play with all of the work that we do and all of the mentality and the culture and the environment that we’re in," Carroll explained. "We’ve been averaging 10 wins a year for the last 20-something years [includes Carroll’s time at USC]. You think I could think anything different than that? I don’t."

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Carroll does have a point when he has a Super Bowl under his belt from the 2013 campaign, while appearing in another one and losing. He also has winning seasons in nine of his 13 seasons with Seattle thus far, with an overall 119-73-1 record. 

He also still sports great offensive weapons despite the quarterback situation. Carroll said "it blows my mind" that receivers Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf were nowhere to be found on the NFL Top 100 Players list, which is a valid argument. On defense, guys like Jamal Adams, Jordyn Brooks and Quandre Diggs are all veterans who can get the job done. 

Quarterback Russell Wilson of the Broncos runs onto the field before a preseason NFL game against the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 27, 2022, in Denver.  (Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

"I don’t care what anybody says," Carroll said. "People have been saying stuff about teams for years. They don’t know. They’re just guessing at this point, and then we go and prove it and we see where we are."

It’s only fitting Carroll’s first test post-Wilson will be against the man himself, as the Seahawks host the Broncos on "Monday Night Football" in Week 1. 

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"I'm really excited about this team," Carroll said. "I love the makeup. I love the way that they've come together from way back when. I love the leadership. I love the speed. I love our style in all aspects and now we need to go out and show it and live up to what the expectations are. My expectations are very high."