Pete Carroll doesn’t rule out Raiders starters playing vs Seahawks

It appears Mike Macdonald and Pete Carroll might be taking different approaches to Thursday night’s preseason opener between the Seattle Seahawks and Las Vegas Raiders at Lumen Field.

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Macdonald already announced the Seahawks won’t play their starters. That’s become increasingly common in the first week of the preseason, as teams prioritize keeping their starters healthy and giving playing time to backups and reserves who are battling for roster spots.

Carroll reportedly left things more open-ended than his counterpart when asked Tuesday morning.

“Everybody’s live,” Carroll said when asked about playing his starters, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. “Everybody’s ready to go.”

It’s unclear whether that means the Raiders’ starters will actually play or just go through warmups. And if their starters do play, it’s unclear which ones.

Either way, Thursday’s preseason opener carries plenty of intrigue with Carroll, veteran quarterback Geno Smith and safety Jamal Adams all making their return to the Pacific Northwest.

Carroll, the most successful coach in Seahawks franchise history, is entering his first season as the Raiders’ head coach. His decorated 14-year run in Seattle ended in January 2024 when the franchise replaced him with Macdonald.

Smith, who was traded from Seattle to Las Vegas in March, is embarking on his first season as the Raiders’ starting quarterback. He spent four seasons as Russell Wilson’s backup in Seattle before resurrecting his career as the Seahawks’ starting QB from 2022 through 2024.

Adams, meanwhile, is competing for a starting role in the Raiders’ secondary. He spent four up-and-down seasons playing under Carroll in Seattle from 2020 to 2023 before splitting last season with the Tennessee Titans and Detroit Lions.

When asked about Carroll and Smith returning to Lumen Field, Macdonald said he hopes they receive a warm reception from Seahawks fans.

“We should be cheering Pete when he gets here,” Macdonald said. “We should be cheering Geno. How could you not? We should be cheering those guys. Now, when the ball is snapped, we’re going to go try to win the game. We’re not going to be playing our starters, but we’re going to go compete like heck. I think Pete would appreciate that.

“I hope Pete gets a great ovation. He deserves it.”

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