NFL executives are putting John Schneider and the Seahawks in their rightful place

Pete Carroll was much more than just the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks between 2010 and 2024. He and John Schneider did not have the normal coach-general manager relationship. Schneider did not supervise Carroll and Carroll was allowed to make all final roster decisions. Both have helped shape the team's culture.

Seattle was known for having a player-friendly franchise and treating every employee well. For example, they were the opposite of how the Washington Commanders were run under their owner Dan Snyder. Was the team better on the field because the players were treated better and the organization was good? Perhaps.

This offseason, however, Carroll was relieved of his duties (remaining a “consultant” in name only), and that could have spelled trouble for the team’s future. However, with Schneider taking more control of the fielding team, the transition to new head coach Mike Macdonald was smooth.

That last part was noticed by executives across the league. Maybe they didn't think the Seahawks would fall apart without Carroll, but no one knew how well the team would do without him. As it turns out, Schneider wasn't just Carroll's buddy, as the team seems to run just as smoothly without Carroll.

The Seahawks are ranked as the league's seventh-best front office in a new survey of 35 league executives and five coaches by The Athletic. One manager said: “Everyone just loves working there… Even after Pete left, the transition seemed to go very smoothly.”

One executive said: “(It's a) very stable organization. John is a very humble guy and has great relationships throughout the league and with the media… Even though they've had great continuity, he never settles and is always looking for something.” comes next and asks, “What have I I overlooked it?” Never thinks of him as the smartest guy in the room and listens. He is a great leader and is respected by everyone because he is so sincere.

True fans will love their favorite team, whether that team wins or loses every game, of course, but it's still nice to get confirmation that in addition to what the team does on the field, good things are also happening within the organization . We don't want to know that employees aren't respected or that those in charge are idiots.

Luckily, that’s not the case with the Seahawks. The team may not have won a playoff game in a while, but that could change with the new coaching staff. The 12-year-olds also know that with Schneider as general manager, the team will always have a chance to be competitive.

More Seahawks news and analysis: