Pete Carroll speaks carefully about rumors linking Raiders with Steelers' Russell Wilson

Even before the Las Vegas Raiders officially announced the hiring of Pete Carroll as their next head coach, some linked the Raiders with current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson.

During an appearance on the latest edition of the "What The Football with Suzy Shuster and Amy Trask" podcast, Carroll did well to dance around the topic when asked about a potential reunion with Wilson. 

"It's so early, and we're just in the midst of trying to find the puzzle pieces. We're not even putting them together yet, so I can't even say. Free agency hasn't come yet," Carroll explained, as shared by Kevin Patra of the NFL's website. "That's the first competitive opportunity that will occur. Then, the draft is coming. We'll have that opportunity. I can't tell you right now. I could guess, but it would just be a guess."

Wilson played under Carroll when both were with the Seattle Seahawks from 2012 through the 2021 season. Together, they helped Seattle reach two Super Bowls and win a championship until their relationship allegedly became so strained that Wilson reportedly tried to get Carroll and Seattle general manager John Schneider fired following the 2021 campaign. Seattle subsequently traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos in March 2022, but The Athletic's Jeff Howe reported last week that Wilson and Carroll have since "mended fences." 

Wilson is on track to reach free agency when the new league year opens on March 12 but recently said his "goal is to be with the Pittsburgh Steelers a long time and hopefully finish my career there." Meanwhile, Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II revealed earlier this week his "preference" would be to re-sign either Wilson or backup Justin Fields before Pittsburgh looks to acquire at least one signal-caller during the upcoming draft. 

"I promise you, if you're a real competitor, you're not letting options get away from you," Carroll added during the podcast chat. "So we're going to consider every option as a possibility, and we'll go after it very aggressively, with intent, and hopefully with a sense and a feeling that people want to be part of this thing."

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reportedly remains a big Wilson supporter, which could be good news for the 36-year-old if he truly would reject the Raiders to stay in Pittsburgh. If, however, the Steelers choose to go in a different direction, Wilson could become a bridge option at the position during Carroll's first season with Las Vegas.