SEATTLE (AP) — Pete Carroll played a new role in familiar territory Thursday night, with his first preseason game as coach of the Las Vegas Raiders coming against the Seattle Seahawks.
The former Seattle coach clearly felt at home before the 23-23 tie, talking with many Seahawks players on the field during warmups and generally being his outgoing, energetic self.
“It was cool to be here. I loved it here,” Carroll said. “But it didn’t translate to something crazy for me. It was just an opportunity to play in a great setting. Thanks to the league for putting us in this game. They figured it out, it was a good idea, and it’s been a good one to look forward to.”
Carroll said the only time the familiar setting changed the experience was when he caught himself looking for the wrong uniform when watching replays on the video board.
“There were a couple times guys made plays and I’m looking at the screen in the end zone, and I thought it was our guys making plays,” he said.
Carroll spent 14 seasons in Seattle, going 137-89-1 and putting together double-digit victories eight times over a nine-year stretch.
He was at the helm for some of the most memorable moments in team history, including the 2013 Super Bowl championship with the dominant “Legion of Boom” defense, before the Seahawks parted ways with him after the 2023 season.
Las Vegas starting quarterback Geno Smith also made a return to Seattle. Smith revitalized his career with the Seahawks, signing in 2019 as the backup and then becoming the starter in 2022. He was selected AP Comeback Player of the Year when he led the league with a 69.8% completion percentage and threw for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Smith started, but only played one series. He completed one of three passes for 15 yards.
Smith was appreciative of the warm reception he got from the Seattle crowd.
“It means everything to me,” Smith said. “It’s always fun when you can go back to a place you love, and I thought it was really good for me and it was a great experience.”
___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
