Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Does Pete Carroll deserve the mantra of 'quarterback guru'?
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll looks on during warm-ups before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Does Pete Carroll deserve the mantra of 'quarterback guru'?

One NFL Network analyst suggests Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll deserves more praise for quarterback Geno Smith's performance than he gets.

Known primarily as a defensive coach, Carroll isn't often considered a QB guru. During the past few seasons, the Seahawks' unimaginative offense was seen as a sign that perhaps Carroll had lost a step.

Smith is 118-of-157 for 1,305 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions. His completion percentage (75.2-percent), yards per attempt (8.3) and yards per game (261) are all better than his career averages.

After finishing last year 20th in total yards, the Seahawks are up to 8th this season.

The offensive improvement in Seattle has been even more noticeable when considering former quarterback Russell Wilson's rough start in Denver.

Wilson's completion percentage (59.4-percent) and passer rating (82.8) are career lows.

Carroll coached at USC from 2001 to 2009. Quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart won the Heisman Trophy under his watch. In Seattle, Wilson went from third-round pick and projected backup to Matt Flynn to Super Bowl-winning QB.

It's Smith's resurgence that has drawn the most eyes toward Carroll's coaching.

No one will ever accuse Carroll of revolutionizing NFL offenses. But there's something to be said for a coach that consistently put his players in a position to succeed. It's been a common thread through his 20-plus seasons as a coach.

No one thought of Carroll as a QB whisperer before this season. But if we've learned anything, it's the more we think we know, the less we actually do.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Bengals finally reach agreement with first-rounder Shemar Stewart
NFL

Bengals finally reach agreement with first-rounder Shemar Stewart

The Cincinnati Bengals have finally reached an agreement with first-round pick Shemar Stewart, putting an end to what became the story of the offseason for the team. Stewart, drafted 17th overall in this year's draft, has finally agreed to a four-year, fully guaranteed $18.97 million deal that includes a $10.4 million signing bonus, according to his agent Zac Hiller of LAA. Now with this deal done, every first-round pick is signed. The road to this deal was a bumpy ride. For months, negotiations between Stewart’s camp and the Bengals front office stalled due to disagreements over contract language, particularly around guarantees. The team pushed to include contract language that could void the deal under certain off-field circumstances, but since other Bengals first-round picks did not face similar terms, Stewart stood firm and refused to sign. Both sides remained firm throughout the offseason, leading to a long standoff and a lot of reports of frustration from both sides. Despite the frustration and disagreement, the Bengals and Stewart’s group continued to engage in conversations, trying to find a resolution to the issue. And finally, after weeks of back and forth and weeks of controversy surrounding what Stewart may be forced to do, both parties appear to have met in the middle and found common ground. For the Bengals, getting Stewart signed and ready for training camp is a major win. Stewart was viewed as a developmental prospect who needed plenty of on-field reps to reach his full potential. Stewart's absence from earlier camps had slowed a lot of his progress. With the contract dispute resolved, he can now focus entirely on gaining important reps and continuing his development over the coming weeks. Now with this contract done and over with, the team can put their full focus on Trey Hendrickson, who is also seeking a long term deal. If the Bengals can get a deal done with Trey before the season kicks off, they would secure their edge-rushing room for not only 2025, but for years beyond. For a team looking to go all in on making the playoffs, signing Stewart was long overdue. Now it will be vital for the team to get Stewart up to speed with the rest of the roster, and allow him to get as many reps as possible before the 2025 season begins.

Knicks, Warriors Could Make Blockbuster All-Star Trade
NBA

Knicks, Warriors Could Make Blockbuster All-Star Trade

The New York Knicks are a team that has been thrown around in trade rumors all offseason long. The Knicks were eliminated in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers and are looking for any way imaginable to get back in the thick of things for next season's playoff run. Sporting News analyst Tyler Rourke suggested a trade that would send Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns to the Golden State Warriors for Jimmy Butler and Quinten Post. "Towns could be holding Jalen Brunson and the rest of the roster back with his high volume of shots, which is why the front office may be willing to deal him to another team — despite just landing him ahead of the 2024-25 season," Rourke wrote. "If that is the case, the Golden State Warriors would be the perfect option, and all it would take is his former teammate, Jimmy Butler and Quinten Post." "The Knicks have built a tough defensive identity with players like Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson. Adding Butler to that group would solidify the best defensive unit in the league." "While Post doesn’t have the name value as Towns, he does have the ability to stretch the floor as a big man and will require less usage." The Knicks have uncertainty with Towns coming up in the final three years of his deal, so getting him out in favor of Butler would give the team more flexibility down the line. That being said, Towns can still be one of the best players in the NBA, especially at the center position. The Knicks made a big trade for Towns less than a year ago, so dealing him would not be something that the team should take lightly.

Report: Steelers Brought In Big Name Safety For Free Agent Visit
NFL

Report: Steelers Brought In Big Name Safety For Free Agent Visit

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been looking to improve their safety depth after trading away Minkah Fitzpatrick. On Day 2 of training camp, they signed Chuck Clark, a safety that previously played for the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. He will now be teaming up with another ex-Raven in DeShon Elliott. Pittsburgh has been loading their defense with players whom Baltimore let walk in free agency over the past two offseasons. It continues with Clark, and it could potentially keep going, with more players still available. Ari Meirov recently posted that on the same day as the Clark signing, the Steelers brought in safety Marcus Williams for a visit as well. Williams spent the previous three seasons with the Ravens, where he has dealt with injuries and inconsistencies. He has yet to play in more than 11 games in a season with Baltimore, which is likely why he is still available as July comes to a close. He had just 33 tackles and two passes defended in 2024, as he appears to be on the decline at this point in his career. Williams would most likely be a depth piece in this case. Elliott will be one starter, and there will be a training camp battle between Clark and Juan Thornhill for the other spot. Even with three capable safeties being on the roster, you can never have too much depth, so bringing in someone like Williams likely wouldn't hurt at all, especially with Thornhill's injury history. The more, the merrier. Steelers Keep Going To Ravens Well For Defense As mentioned before, Williams would join Clark and Elliott as former Raven safeties to wear the Black and Gold as they all reunite in Pittsburgh. They are not the only ones to switch sides in this heated rivalry, however. The Steelers have also signed Malik Harrison during free agency in 2025 to add to the linebacker core as a run-stuffer. Jeremiah Moon was claimed off waivers from Baltimore by Pittsburgh early in the 2024 offseason. The Steelers also grabbed a Baltimore linebacker to be the quarterback of their defense. Patrick Queen was given a three-year deal in the 2024 free agency period to be the primary communicator of the unit. While that did not work out too well that year, hopefully can be better with another year in the system while also being surrounded by more of his former teammates from the Chesapeake.

Lakers Receive Massive Jarred Vanderbilt Update Ahead of Upcoming Season
NBA

Lakers Receive Massive Jarred Vanderbilt Update Ahead of Upcoming Season

The Los Angeles Lakers will seem to enter the upcoming season with virtually the same roster, minus some key additions. More news: Lakers Insider Urges Team to Make Major Change to Starting Five The Lakers have only lost one player this offseason and added three new players who could play vital roles for the team. While that is the case, the core remains intact, led by the likes of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura. Whether the current roster is enough to compete in the loaded Western Conference remains to be seen. The Lakers' top three are as good as it gets in the NBA; however, the questions lie more with the others for the purple and gold. The Lakers' depth is not as strong, which is one of the primary reasons they fell short in the first round of the playoffs last season. One of their key players who didn't step up when needed most was forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who has had difficulty staying on the court. Injuries for the last two seasons have riddled Vanderbilt, but it appears that they are no longer affecting him, at least this offseason. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Vanderbilt is healthier now than he's been for the past handful of offseasons. “I’m also hearing Jarred Vanderbilt is healthier now than he was at any point last season, which will naturally spark hope that the versatile forward seems like an offseason addition himself when training camp opens in late September.” More news: Lakers’ Luka Doncic Has Reportedly Already Agreed to Massive Contract Extension With LA The Lakers traded for the defensive-minded forward in February 2023. He came out of the gates hot in the purple and gold and established himself as a fan favorite. However, after the 2022-23 season, Vanderbilt was dealing with a severe foot injury heading into the 2023-24 season. That season, he was held to 29 games with six starts. Vanderbilt missed the back half of the season and the playoffs. As for the 2024-25 season, the 26-year-old was held to 36 games after making his season debut in January 2025. While he was on the court, it was clear that he was not the same player that the Lakers had traded for in 2023. Vanderbilt will now enter the second season of his four-year, $48 million contract with the Lakers. More news: Lakers’ Shake Milton Already Finds New Home Days After Release, Signs 2-Year Deal For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!