Could championship-winning football coach Pete Carroll return to the sidelines with the Chicago Bears?
As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the former Seattle Seahawks and Southern California Trojans head coach is eyeing the shores of Lake Michigan as he considers a comeback.
Carroll, 73, led the Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowls following the 2013 and 2014 seasons, winning the first one. In all, he spent 14 seasons in Seattle before being fired in January following two consecutive 9-8 seasons. He was given an advisory role with the team after his dismissal in Seattle.
The Bears dismissed head coach Matt Eberflus, hired in 2022, following a 4-8 start and a 14-32 overall record.
The New York Jets and New Orleans Saints also fired their coaches this season.
But it’s the Bears’ job and the opportunity to work with 2024’s top overall draft pick, quarterback Caleb Williams, that apparently has captured the attention of Carroll, who compiled a 170-120-1 record with the New York Jets (1994), New England Patriots (1997-99) and Seahawks.
Pete Carroll said Seahawks execs, who are ‘not football people’, ousted him in Seattle
A view of Soldier Field before a game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears
ESPN reported Carroll has yet to talk to the Bears or any team about a return to coaching.
Carroll also coached USC (2001-09) to nine bowl games and to national championships in 2003 and 2004. He joins Jim Harbaugh, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer as the only head coaches to lead teams to the NCAA title game and the Super Bowl.
While Carroll reportedly eyes Chicago, the Seahawks are preparing to face the Bears with an NFC West title and playoff berth on the line.
Seattle finds itself heading into a must-win game against the host Bears on Thursday night, and even if the Seahawks can top Chicago and beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18, they still might miss out on the postseason because of the strength-of-victory tiebreaker.
If Seattle (8-7) was to get past Los Angeles for a 10-7 finish, the teams would split their season series 1-1, have matching 4-4 records against common opponents and would hold the same in-conference record, leaving strength of victory to determine the fate of the Seahawks and Rams.
And that fifth tiebreaker belongs to Los Angeles.
‘We just got to handle our part, which is win out,’ Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. ‘Then, let the chips fall where they fall. Hopefully, we catch a little luck and we can get in there.’
Seattle dropped out of wild-card contention after a 27-24 loss to the Vikings on Sunday. Minnesota was down 24-20 with less than 4 1/2 minutes to go, but Sam Darnold threw a go-ahead 39-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson with 3:51 remaining.
Jason Myers came up short on a 60-yard field-goal attempt with 1:55 left, preventing the Seahawks from drawing even.
‘We got to win two, but it starts with one,’ said Seattle quarterback Geno Smith, who had 314 passing yards, three touchdowns and two picks against Minnesota. ‘We got a tough Chicago team on the road. I know their record isn’t the greatest, but if you watch film on those guys, they got a tough team ask with a lot of the talent.
‘We got to be ready coming off a short week, traveling on Christmas. Guys got to get their minds right and get ready to go.’
Seattle quarterback Geno Smith has kept the Seahawks competitive without Carroll this year
The Bears (4-11) have dropped nine consecutive games, most recently losing 34-17 to the Detroit Lions. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams continued to shine, passing for 334 yards and two TDs.
‘Every snap is valuable,’ Williams said. ‘There are so many different situations that happen throughout games that you can learn from and that I’ve learned from this year.’
Williams has been building a strong rapport with wide receiver Rome Odunze, a fellow first-round pick in this year’s draft. The two hooked up four times for 77 yards against Detroit.
‘From the moment you step on the field with a great player like him, you feel that confidence and I think that you feed off of that from one another and I think that we do that well,’ Odunze said of his relationship with Williams. ‘But you’ve got to go out there and prove it on the field and we have to continue to do that.’
Both the Bears and Seahawks held walkthroughs on Tuesday.
Had Chicago had a full practice, running back Travis Homer (hamstring), left guard Teven Jenkins (calf) and defensive backs Elijah Hicks (ankle/foot) and Tarvarius Moore (knee) would have been unable to participate. For Seattle, running back Kenneth Walker III (ankle) and tight end Brady Russell (foot) were listed as non-participants.
