The Las Vegas Raiders have landed a former Super Bowl champion in Pete Carroll, and there is talk that they could now target a very familiar Pro Bowl quarterback to pair with their new head coach.
Carroll on Friday agreed to a three-year deal to become the new head coach of the Raiders. The 73-year-old will be tasked with helping to rebuild a team that went 4-13 this year and has had three consecutive losing seasons.
The Raiders are in need of a long-term solution at quarterback, but there has already been some speculation about Carroll potentially reuniting with Russell Wilson. Jeff Howe of The Athletic said Friday that Wilson is now a “name to watch” in Las Vegas. The reporter also claimed any issues Carroll and Wilson had in Seattle have been resolved.
With Pete Carroll taking over the Raiders, one name I’ve heard to watch at QB: Russell Wilson.
They’ve mended fences, per source, and Wilson could be a stopgap while the Raiders develop a long-term answer.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) January 24, 2025
Carroll and Wilson enjoyed tremendous success together with the Seahawks over the span of a decade. They led the team to a Super Bowl win in 2013 and an NFC title the following year. Wilson was named to the Pro Bowl nine times while playing under Carroll.
Wilson is set to become a free agent this offseason following an up-and-down year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He finished with 2,482 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in 11 games. A recent report claimed the Steelers are likely to go in a different direction heading into 2025.
Though the relationship between Wilson and Carroll seemed to sour before the quarterback was traded to the Denver Broncos in 2022, there have been signs more recently that the the two are on good terms.
Wilson, who is 36, drew very little interest from teams last offseason. That could be the case again in the coming months, so perhaps the Raiders will give him consideration as an inexpensive bridge option.
