The Las Vegas Raiders faced off against the Seattle Seahawks in their first preseason game, and there were some familiar faces returning to old stomping grounds. It was a reunion for Geno Smith and Pete Carroll, as both were a part of the team in years past, with Smith being traded from the team earlier this offseason. Though there shouldn't have been any love lost, there was some lost for a Seahawks fan who was seen holding up a “Bigger Bust — Geno Or Jamarcus Russell?” sign.
The fan was referring to Russell, who was the No. 1 pick in 2007 for the Raiders, but didn't turn out to be the player that many people expected.
Smith and Maxx Crosby saw the sign, and both were caught on camera making obscene gestures at the fan. The fan was also seen making gestures at Smith.
Carroll, who was the head coach for the Seahawks from 2010 to 2023, was asked about Smith's gesture to the fan.
“Raiders coach Pete Carroll, when asked if he had a comment on Geno Smith's gesture to fan in Seattle: ‘Did you see what the sign said?'” columnist Paul Gutierrez wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
It's not certain if the NFL will look into Smith and Crosby making the gestures, but last season, Brian Branch did the same thing and was fined $10,128.
Pete Carroll grateful for time with Seahawks
Though many people made a big deal of Carroll returning to Seattle to face his old team, he treated it just like another game.
“It's the only game we got,” Carroll said, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It happens to be Seattle. I loved my time in Seattle, loved the fans and the people we met and dealt with and competed with. But it's a game for us.”
Carroll saw most of his NFL success with the Seahawks and was able to win a Super Bowl with them. In 2023, the Seahawks and Carroll parted ways, and now, he's the head coach of the Raiders. He was able to get Smith as his quarterback, who was with him during his final stint with Seattle.
The Raiders should be a much different team than in previous seasons, and they now have the talent on the team to be real competitors. It may take some time for them to get the chemistry going, but as the season goes on, they should have things figured out.
