Geno Smith only played one season for the Seattle Seahawks without coach Pete Carroll. Now, the coach-quarterback duo will reunite on the Las Vegas Raiders after the team traded for Smith last month.
Despite that one year apart last season, Carroll never stopped helping Smith, even if it was from a distance that time. Smith detailed how Carroll remained an important coaching figure in his life during the 2024 season in an interview with Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.
“I would call him whenever I got frustrated,” Smith said. “He talked me through things, and he still coached me. And I think that’s what makes him such a special man, is that he was coaching me even when he wasn’t my head coach. A lot of the things that he was telling me, a lot of conversations we had really kept me steady throughout the season, and kept my head on straight. Because, again, man, this is a team that I gave everything I had to. . .”
It's clear there's a real close bond between the coach and quarterback, and their magic could return in Las Vegas this season.
Smith ended up producing one of the best statistical years of his career, finishing with a career-high 4,320 yards thrown on a 70.4% completion rate, with 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Smith led the Seahawks to a 10–7 season, but the team failed to make the playoffs.
The quarterback will now be a Raider for the next couple years as Las Vegas signed him to a two-year extension worth up to $85.5 million with $66.5 million guaranteed just weeks after they traded for him. He was originally set to become a free agent after the 2025 season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Geno Smith Revealed How Pete Carroll Helped Him During Frustrating 2024 Season.
