Back in December, when we raised the possibility that Pete Carroll could bump into the Seattle Seahawks’ front office and Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn could be the first in line to take over, a handful of folks in the coaching industry provided some food for thought. In essence: That makes sense and is the most logical solution, but let’s at least think about it for a second.
Now that the time is here—Carroll is stepping away from the head coaching seat at age 72 after 14 years—the Seahawks have to not only consider the continuation of the culture that they’ve installed and maintained, but what the NFC West has become. In reference to that second point: Is a defensive head coach who would cycle through offensive coordinators every few years the sensible answer, even if Quinn is one of the most devout Carroll disciples in the NFL?
Since Carroll brought the city its lone championship, winning Super Bowl XLVIII, 43–8, over the Denver Broncos in 2014, no team has seen the division around it change complexion like the Seahawks have. A decade ago, a thumping defense was the backbone of a championship roster, and the Seahawks could run through anyone and shut down everyone.
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All of that changed when, in succession, Sean McVay replaced Jeff Fisher for the Los Angeles Rams and Kyle Shanahan replaced Chip Kelly for the San Francisco 49ers. The NFC West inherited arguably the two best play-callers in the NFL. McVay is 37. Shanahan is 44. And while McVay has discussed burnout and we have endured multiple waves of rumors that he would take a football sabbatical at some point, he has already committed to returning in 2024. The Rams have expedited what many believed to be a long-term rebuild and are in the playoffs with one of the best young players in the NFL at receiver (Puka Nacua). Shanahan has one of the best teams in football, has spent his entire life in the sport and has worked with his father, Mike, who coached until the age of 61.
Culture obviously matters more, and Quinn is a force of good vibes everywhere he goes. He is the only person who could possibly rival Carroll’s endless font of positivity. But as he’s sharpened his candidacy in Dallas, we sometimes forget that his offenses struggled in Atlanta. At least relative to the fact that there was a franchise quarterback (Matt Ryan) and wide receiver (Julio Jones) in their primes. Atlanta’s best offensive season by far was overseen by … Shanahan, who left the Falcons after the team’s Super Bowl LI collapse against the New England Patriots to coach the 49ers. Dirk Koetter and Steve Sarkisian also held the OC job for a time.
And so, Carroll himself, who, as we predicted, is taking on an advisory role, and general manager John Schneider will have to decide whether they will zig and gamble on a good defense once again or zag and assume that the only answer for two dynamic young offenses is another dynamic young offense (led by a dynamic young offensive coach).
As we’ve written a few times, this is not a great offseason for those who want the hot young offensive assistant. There is Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, Frank Smith of the Miami Dolphins, Brian Callahan of the Cincinnati Bengals, Bobby Slowik of the Houston Texans, Dave Canales of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a somewhat sizable gap until the next tier.
However, Canales has been with Carroll longer than Quinn, having joined Seattle’s staff when Carroll came to the NFL from USC. The Buccaneers have one of the most explosive offenses this year in terms of 20-plus-yard plays. Slowik was raised in the same Washington incubator as Matt LaFleur, McVay, Shanahan, Mike McDaniel and some of the other great offensive minds of the NFL. Smith, who got his start with Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints, is one of the most personable coaches in the NFL. While he doesn’t have direct Seahawks ties, people around the league talk about Smith and Carroll similarly. They have great interpersonal skills.
And so, our point here is that we can’t just assume there will be a tidy changeover in Seattle. The Seahawks are in an arms race against the likes of Cooper Kupp, Nacua, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brock Purdy and Matthew Stafford. Quinn is one of the best options on the market to slow them down. But Seattle should look into someone who can also keep pace when it comes to lighting up the scoreboard.
