Bears to Interview Former Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll

Former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll could make his return to an NFL sideline.

Jon Alfano | 18 Hours Ago

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll watches his team play against the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Jan. 7, 2024. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Seattle Seahawks

The Chicago Bears plan to interview former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll for their coaching vacancy, ESPN's Dan Graziano reports.

Bears plan to interview former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll for their vacant head coach job Thursday, sources tell me and @JFowlerESPN
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) January 8, 2025

On Christmas Day, one day before Seattle faced Chicago on Thursday Night Football, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Carroll has "expressed interest" in the Bears' coaching job, and would like to return to an NFL sideline next season. More and more rumors popped up in the following days, and now it seems that interest is legitimate.

Of course, Carroll is a legend in Seattle and always will be. The 73-year-old coached the Seahawks from 2010-2023, guiding them to their most-successful period in franchise history. In his 14 seasons at the helm, Carroll led Seattle to a 137-89-1 record, 10 playoff appearances, five NFC West titles, two NFC titles and the team's first-ever Super Bowl championship.

The Bears, meanwhile, are one of six teams looking for a new head coach after firing Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29. They already have a lengthy list of candidates lined up for interviews, with former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores being just two of the more notable names.

Carroll has no shortage of experience, but his age could be a cause for concern. He was already the oldest head coach in the league when the Seahawks moved on from him last year, and with Bill Belichick no longer in the picture, no other head coach comes that close to him.

That said, Carroll's resume speaks for himself. He's one of the few coaches to ever win both a Super Bowl and a national championship, and that's just scratching the surface of his accomplishments.

If he does get the job in Chicago, Carroll could definitely find success even at this age.