Russell Wilson left for Denver and left Seattle with a quarterback conundrum.
The free agency frenzy came and went, and so too did the 2022 NFL Draft, and the Seahawks never made a splash and head coach Pete Carroll doesn't see that happening in the future, either.
"We're always competing," Carroll said Wednesday night in an interview with Sports Radio 93.3 KJR FM, via ESPN's Brady Henderson. "I'm not saying anything you didn't think I was going to say, but fortunately that's always been the way we've operated, and it fits again. So we're looking. I don't see us making a trade for anybody at all. I don't see that happening. But we're certainly going to continue to be open to chances to help our club, and meanwhile we're just going to be battling and competing our tails off. There's always possibilities, so we keep open to that."
Much of the wonderment regarding whether Carroll and the 'Hawks will trade to obtain a quarterback surrounds Baker Mayfield, who's essentially in a state of limbo as a member of a Cleveland Browns club that nobody believes he'll ever see the field for again.
Mayfield has been connected to the Emerald City aplenty this offseason, but NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday during Day 2 of the draft that the Seahawks' interest in Mayfield was "lukewarm at best," partially due to the belief that the Oklahoma product wouldn't be an especially good fit with Seattle.
Carroll was also asked if there was perhaps a free-agent QB out there the 'Hawks would look to bring in. If there is, Carroll wasn't revealing anything.
"There's no chance I'm going to tell you anything more than what I just told you, but I love you for trying," Carroll said, laughing. "Honestly, we're going to keep looking and seeing what's available, but only to help our club and try to make us better. If the case presents itself, we're going to be ready for it."
In the trade that sent Wilson to the Broncos, the Seahawks acquired Drew Lock. Seattle also re-signed Geno Smith.
The aforementioned "we're always competing" is one of Carroll's go-to phrases, but for now, a competition between Smith and Lock seems to be what's on the horizon for the Seattle quarterback spot.
If there is reason for optimism upcoming, though, it is likely with wide receiver DK Metcalf.
Carroll offered perhaps his most confident comments yet regarding signing Metcalf to an extension, comments that nearly mirrored those by Metcalf earlier in the week.
"We want him to be here," Carroll said, via Henderson. "He wants to be here. We'll figure it out. It'll just take us some time but we'll get it done."
Though a new quarterback might not be headed to Seattle, a new deal for the Seahawks' standout receiver just might be.
