The Las Vegas Raiders shocked the NFL community when they dealt for former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith. The move means a reunion for Smith and Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, who worked together for two seasons when Carroll was the Seahawks’ head coach.
The Raiders held an introductory press conference for Smith on Monday, and both expressed optimism about what they can accomplish together in the reunion.
“There is unfinished business,” Smith said of what he and Carroll want to achieve, according to Pro Football Talk. “When people think about my story, Coach Carroll is a big part of that.
“He gave me an opportunity when not many people would have, and he saw the hard work I was putting in, he saw the things behind the scenes that I do that allowed me to get this opportunity. To be able to play for him, to be part of this organization, it means everything to myself and my family.I was just telling him, I’ll run through a wall for him, and he knows that.”
Smith said that Carroll is exactly what a player could want in a head coach.
“He’s very relatable. He loves all of his players like they’re his kids. He treats us all the same. He treats us like men. He allows us to make decisions. He allows us to be ourselves. He’s legendary. His track record speaks for itself. He competes every single day and that’s what I love about him.”
Caroll is also excited about working with the veteran quarterback again.
“He’s going to bring us great stability and belief in the kinds of things that we stand for,” Carroll said per PFT. “His habits are so, so stellar. The way he works, the way he looks at the game, the way he looks at the challenges of it all is exactly in line with the way we think.
“He’ll represent us in magnificent fashion. I think it gives us instant stability in a crucial spot. The history that we have and my understanding of G, and how to help him be the best he can be, and he knows how to bring out the best in our system because he’ll stand for the competitiveness and the things that we believe in.”
If Carroll and Smith can work together in the desert as well as they did in Seattle, there’s no reason they can’t get the Raiders back to the playoffs in year one.
