The Seattle Seahawks are taking on the Las Vegas Raiders to begin the team’s preseason schedule and the return of Pete Carroll as well as Geno Smith makes this far from a typical exhibition game. Head coach Mike Macdonald made his feelings clear on how fans should greet Carroll and Smith.
“We should be cheering Pete when he gets here, we should be cheering Geno, how can we not?” Macdonald said on August 2, 2025, per Seahawks.com’s John Boyle. “We should be cheering those guys… I hope Pete gets a great ovation, he deserves it.”
Let’s explore Carroll’s return to the Pacific Northwest.
Pete Carroll on Seahawks Exit: ‘It’s a Little Bit Different Than Maybe How People Perceived It’
If Smith played against his former team, it would be a bit of surprise given many starting quarterbacks are used sparingly in the preseason. During a May 14, interview with Seattle Sports’ “Brock and Salk,” Carroll opened up about the end of his Seahawks tenure.
“It came to me that there was a time that we probably were about to face one of the bigger changes and shifts in the program,” Carroll explained. “And I had really been dedicated – as John had been dedicated, too – to doing this thing in great fashion together. And we had done that, I thought. And it was really John’s turn. It was his turn to take over. I’d had the lead voice all through that time, and I was really hoping that John could become the general manager of the club and run it.
“And if we could do that and we could figure out a way to get out of that, we did. … So we just kind of agreed upon it that if we could work it out, I would support the thought. And that’s kind of how it happened. So it’s a little bit different than maybe how people perceived it. And then John got his chance.”
Raiders QB Geno Smith Claimed There Was a ‘Disconnect’ With Seahawks Over Respect Level
Smith’s comments about how his tenure in Seattle ended have been a little more spicy since being dealt to Las Vegas. The veteran quarterback noted that there was a “disconnect” when it came to the Seahawks’ respect level prior to being traded.
“And Mike was good for us, and I really enjoyed being with him for that season,” Smith told Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer during an April 7, interview. “But again, man, when you’re talking about business, and you’re talking about a quarterback who wants not only to get paid—every player wants to get paid—but to be respected, that’s the most important thing.
“It’s the respect factor. And I just felt like there was a disconnect there.”
Seahawks GM John Schneider Reacts to Geno Smith: ‘You Can’t Tell Somebody How to Feel’
Seahawks general manager John Schneider has since doubled down on how the team handled Smith’s departure. Schneider previously revealed that the two sides could not come to terms on a new contract extension prompting the franchise to trade Smith and turn towards Sam Darnold.
“Very comfortable the way we handled it and knowing that, (as) a wise man told me once, you can’t tell somebody how to feel,” Schneider told Seattle Sports’ “Wyman and Bob” during an April 10, interview. “There’s a lot of things you can do, but these are this person’s feelings.
“And it’s like any other relationship. That’s the way you feel. I’m not going to tell you you’re wrong.”
