Former Pro Bowl QB Argues Pete Carroll Would Be Perfect For Caleb Williams

Pete Carroll wants back into the NFL. Despite being 73 years old, the former Super Bowl champion feels the pull of coaching once again. He appears to have particular eyes for the Chicago Bears job, likely drawn by their encouraging mix of resources, decent roster, and young quarterback in Caleb Williams. For their part, the Bears appear interested in at least speaking with him. Fans don’t seem enthusiastic about the idea. Carroll had lots of success in Seattle but coaches his age rarely work out in the NFL.

They want somebody who can be with Williams over the long term. You can’t expect that from somebody who is long past retirement age. Besides, Carroll comes from a defensive background. Many don’t trust he would know how to handle Williams’ development. Former Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck doesn’t seem worried about that. He told FOX Sports that despite their short time together, the future Hall of Famer head coach did a lot for him in his career.

“We love to give all these offensive coaches credit for their quarterback doing well,” Hasselbeck told FOX Sports. “And sometimes, when a defensive coach does a great job with a quarterback, we don’t give them any credit.

“I know playing for Pete, while there were some growing pains and things like that for me, there were some really good things that helped me a lot.”

Hasselbeck likely wishes he could’ve played for Pete Carroll longer.

They only spent the 2010 season together. Most of it was a roller coaster. He had 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 14 games. However, things finally clicked in the playoffs. Hasselbeck threw seven touchdowns and one interception in two games, playing some of the best football of his career. Unfortunately, Seattle opted to go a different route in the subsequent off-season. Eventually, they drafted Russell Wilson in 2012, making the playoffs that same season. A year later, they won the Super Bowl.

Wilson went on to have a Hall of Fame-worthy career of his own. Pete Carroll was the head coach for the entirety of his best years. That is before you get into the fact that he also revived the career of Geno Smith, a supposed draft bust. Defensive background or not, it’s clear the coach has a knack for communicating with quarterbacks. Even if his time with Williams would be short, there is no denying he would likely have a positive influence.