Head coach Pete Carroll and his on-field counterpart Geno Smith are gearing up for a highly emotional return as the Las Vegas Raiders kick off their preseason Thursday night against the Seattle Seahawks. Carroll, who led the Seahawks for 14 seasons and guided them to their only Super Bowl title, will be on the opposing sideline in Seattle for the first time—and has already confirmed that all of his starters will play.
Meanwhile, Smith, who revived his career under Carroll, may also see action against his former team. The quarterback described the game as meaningful, noting that Seattle is where he had a son and turned his NFL journey around.
While Smith acknowledged the emotional weight of returning to Lumen Field, Carroll downplayed the occasion. Though he admitted his fondness for the fans and his time in Seattle, the longtime coach emphasized that this is another game for him and his squad.
“We're going to go play ball,” Carroll said, reinforcing his focus on competing and continuing the Raiders' preparation for the regular season.
Conversely, current Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald did not avoid the moment's significance. He said fans should cheer for both Carroll and Smith before kickoff.
“We should be cheering those guys. Now, when the ball is snapped, we're going to go try to win the game, and we're not going to be playing our starters, but we're going to go compete like heck,” Macdonald stated, according to Raiders Wire. Still, he added that once the game begins, they'll compete intensely.
Carroll's tenure in Seattle was transformational. He took over in 2010 following a successful run at USC and quickly turned the Seahawks into a contender. Over 14 years, he compiled a 137–89–1 record, posting at least 10 wins in eight of nine seasons. He led Seattle to two Super Bowl appearances, capturing the title in 2013 with the dominant Legion of Boom defense.
Smith is at the peak of his career. After arriving in Seattle in 2019 as a backup, he emerged as the starter in 2022. That season, he led the NFL with a 69.8% completion rate and threw for over 4,200 yards, earning Comeback Player of the Year honors. Now, Smith, the starting quarterback for the Raiders, admitted that returning to Seattle would be a special moment and said he's excited to reconnect with former teammates and coaches.
