NFL Insider 'Would Not Be Shocked' By Pete Carroll's Next Career Move

According to an NFL insider, former Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll could don the headset once again if the right opportunity arises.

On Wednesday, the Seattle Seahawks stunned the NFL world by announcing that Pete Carroll would step aside after 14 years coaching the team and move to an advisor role instead.

Carroll was the NFL's oldest coach at 72 years old, and leaving his post in Seattle would lead many to believe that he is done coaching. However, not everyone is convinced that he is giving up his headset for good.

In an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero suggested that Carroll could coach once more if the opportunity arises.

Pete Carroll / © Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

"If the right job is there. In a place that he wants to be. With a team he thinks has an opportunity to win right now," Pelissero said. "I would not be shocked if we see Pete Carroll on an NFL sideline again."

💻 @TomPelissero

Is it inevitable that Dan Quinn is going to be the next #Seahawks head coach? And what's next for Pete Carroll?#NFL #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/WvNzCaufwh

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) January 12, 2024

Pelissero's suggestion is somewhat of a contradiction to previous comments by Carroll. While the former Super Bowl champion didn't completely shut down the possibility of coaching again, he didn't sound overly optimistic about it.

That said, Pelissero believes that Carroll phrased his comments the way he did to not detract from the weight of his departure.

"To me, that was Pete walking a very fine line," Pelissero said. "I thought it was the classiest most genuine goodbye from a really classy, genuine individual. But I did not read that as a goodbye from Pete Carroll to coaching."

The NFL level would almost certainly be Carroll's preference, but one has to wonder if he could return to the college ranks.

'Loved Every Minute!': Emotional Pete Carroll Reflects on Seahawks Tenure

After all, the Washington Huskies are looking for a new coach after Kalen DeBoer left to join the Alabama Crimson Tide. Considering Carroll previously won a national championship at USC, he could be a home-run hire for the Huskies while barely having to move. Even if that seems like a long shot, and it probably is, it is certainly an intriguing possibility that many would love to see.

If this is truly it for Carroll as a coach, though, he has certainly left a legacy to be proud of at all levels of the game.