The Seattle Seahawks shockingly traded Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos on Tuesday in the kind of blockbuster deal not often seen in the NFL. Seattle received Broncos tight end Noah Fant, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a fifth-round pick. It was quite the haul for the Seahawks, who have potentially set themselves up nicely for their future life without Wilson. However, it’s currently unclear if that future will include longtime head coach Pete Carroll, whose future with the franchise was also in doubt at one point following the season. Carroll had said about a week ago that the Seahawks had no intention of trading Wilson, yet the Super Bowl champion is on his way to Denver. Crazier things have happened in the NFL than the Seahawks also moving on from Carroll. However, they can’t afford to let that happen. Here are two reasons why the Seahawks must keep Carroll after trading Wilson to the Broncos.

2 Reasons Seahawks Must Keep Pete Carroll 

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2. Carroll gives the Seahawks much-needed continuity

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The Seahawks are about to enter a period of time that they haven’t been in in 10 years. Seattle now has to look for a new quarterback for the first time since 2012, Wilson’s rookie year. Not only that, but the Seattle defense isn’t the unit that it once was, leaving the franchise with many important decisions to make this offseason. Armed with a significant amount of draft capital for the future, the Seahawks have a chance to potentially build a new dynasty in life after Wilson. However, Seattle needs some continuity within the franchise if they want to put their best foot forward. Retaining Carroll, whose culture-building was key to the previous Seahawks’ contending teams, is their best shot at doing that. Not only that, but the potential ramifications of Carroll walking right out the door behind Wilson are massive for Seattle. That would officially signal a rebuild, and one that the Seahawks would be walking into without a quarterback and a head coach. Seattle can’t let that happen. They must keep Carroll.

1. Carroll is a winner

Plain and simple, Pete Carroll is a winner. Carroll’s first stint as a head coach in the NFL with the New York Jets and New England Patriots didn’t go quite as planned, as he finished with a middling 27-21 record and plenty of questions on if he could make it in professional football. After enjoying success in the college game with USC, Carroll returned to the NFL with Seattle and built a winning culture by focusing on his players as people, rather than just pieces to be moved around on the proverbial chess board. It’s a strategy that paid off handsomely for Carroll and the Seahawks, as the veteran head coach has compiled a 119-73 record with Seattle, including two Super Bowl appearances, one championship and nine consecutive winning seasons. Carroll has proven that he knows how to win in the NFL. Not only that, but he has proven that he can help lead a team out of a point of mediocrity to a point of consistent winning. That type of leadership will be invaluable to the Seahawks, given where they currently stand.