Insider explains why Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson reunion could 'be more complicated than it appears'

Numerous reporters have said since late last week that the Las Vegas Raiders could pursue current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson in March because new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll and Wilson have "mended fences" and "rekindled their relationship a little over a year ago" after the Carroll-led Seattle Seahawks traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos in March 2022. 

For an update shared on Wednesday, NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explained why a reunion between Wilson and Carroll could "be more complicated than it appears" even though Las Vegas needs an upgrade to serve as a bridge option at the position over journeyman Gardner Minshew and 2023 fourth-round draft pick Aidan O'Connell.

"It became clear through two years in Denver that Wilson isn’t in the small class of quarterbacks through whom a team’s entire offense can run," Florio wrote. Florio added that Wilson "can’t run away from pressure like he once did" and didn't completely show with the Steelers this past season that he "can find a way to defy Father Time and turn back the clock." 

Specifically, the StatMuse website shows that no quarterback has taken more regular-season sacks since Week 1 of the 2022 campaign than Wilson (133). With Wilson in the lineup, the 2024 Steelers went from 10-3 to 10-7 before they suffered a wild-card playoff loss to the rival Baltimore Ravens. 

"Here’s the other reason," Florio continued. "It’s not Carroll’s call. The decision will be at least heavily influenced — if not ultimately made — by minority owner/majority voice Tom Brady. He’ll surely have an opinion as to whether Wilson can be the answer for the Raiders. ...Despite the personnel power Carroll enjoyed in Seattle, he’ll be working with and/or answering to Brady when the time comes to pick a quarterback of the immediate future."

Brady is heavily involved in the Raiders' ongoing rebuild, so much so that he may/may not be the reason Las Vegas didn't seriously consider hiring Bill Belichick before the club landed Carroll. What Brady knows about the type of mentor Wilson was for Justin Fields from last spring through the Baltimore game could impact if TB12 signs off on the Raiders giving the 36-year-old a call when the legal free-agency tampering period starts on March 10.