ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes questions Pete Carroll’s job security

People calling for Pete Carroll’s job is nothing new these days. It started a handful of years back, was kicked into high gear when the “Let Russ Cook” era really began after the conclusion of the 2019 season, and now is just about at maximum force with the Seattle Seahawks sitting at 2-5.

And on Monday morning on First Take, ESPN NFL Analyst Mina Kimes, one of the smartest football people you’ll find, gave her honest opinion on the matter.

Kimes: “I think unless there is a drastic change [firing Carroll] has to be on the table. And that’s hard for me to say. I think Pete Carroll is a tremendous leader, clearly beloved by his players, and is one of the most successful coaches in Seattle sports history frankly.”

“I’ve watched every decision he’s made as the Seahawks coach and there’s been too many bad ones. Too many issues with clock management, too many punts in opponents territory, too much conservative play calling, and that includes when Russell Wilson was the quarterback.”

She added: “And this is not a reaction to last night. You can point to last night and say ‘well Geno Smith’s not a good quarterback’ hence some of the decisions to run the ball... I don’t care if it’s Geno Auriemma under center, you don’t run the ball into the teeth of the Saints defense over and over and over and expect a different result. They faced 11 eight-man boxes, they ran into nine of them for one yard per carry. I think what we’re seeing right now is Russell Wilson, as Pete Carroll kind of admitted, covered up for a lot of the issues in Seattle for a long time. The defense hasn’t been good for a long time, and yeah the head coach does need to be held accountable.”

These conversations are not likely to go away, even if the team turns things around when Wilson returns from injury. And with Wilson’s comments and trade speculation from this past offseason, it’s a very real possibility something changes one way or another at the end of 2021. What that change is and how it’s resolved is the million dollar question.