Silver And Black Pride
Head coach is clearly excited about reuniting with his quarterback this season
The Las Vegas Raiders' new starting quarterback, Geno Smith, is often quick to credit the Raiders' new head coach, Pete Carroll, for reviving his career. Smith and Carroll have a special relationship going back to their days with the Seattle Seahawks, and the head coach is clearly excited about reuniting with the quarterback this season.
“Yeah, I really feel so fortunate that we were able to get that done (trading for Smith in the offseason),” Carroll said during his media session at the Raiders’ OTAs on Wednesday. “John Spytek got it done for us because of all that [Smith] brings. To me, he’s just been emblematic of what a leader should be, by his habits and by the way he brings himself every day. He’s the first guy out here, he’s the last guy to leave. It’s really important to him that he stands for what leadership is all about, and he’s a good football player, too. He’s looked great in practice so far. So, really excited about what he’s bringing.”
Carroll was also asked how he and Smith have picked up where they left off, and his response shows how close their relationship is.
“It’s been a natural transition. From the time we first contacted him and let him know that we were in on this deal, and we were trying to see if we can make some sense of it, we were both excited about it. And so, I feel really like we are connected at the hip,” the head coach explained.
“We have so much background. I mean, it’s not just the couple of seasons that he played; it’s all of the years that he was there. Because to me, coaching the next quarterback up is really, really crucial. And so, we spent a lot of time communicating and setting our priorities straight, staying on course, and he’s just been a champion at that. And now he comes out the other end of that time frame, and he’s an elite quarterback in the league. And so, what he brings to us is great confidence. I know that we’re going to get great play out of his spot. So it’s really easy to work that out.”
Las Vegas has had plenty of turnover at these two positions since the franchise moved to the city in 2020. So, hopefully, the bond between Carroll and Smith can help provide some stability for the Silver and Black.
