A Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson reunion will be more complicated than it appears

With the Raiders hiring former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and with former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson becoming a free agent and with the Raiders clearly needing an upgrade at quarterback, there are obvious dots to connect between Carroll and Wilson. And plenty have been connecting those dots.

But there are other factors beyond their 10 years together in Seattle.

First, it didn't end in an ideal way. The Seahawks traded Wilson after several years of "let Russ cook," the slogan reflecting Wilson's desire to be the Patrick Mahomes/Josh Allen-style centerpiece of the offense. The Seahawks resisted, and the simmering tensions eventually resulted in a separation.

And then it became clear through two years in Denver that Wilson isn't in the small class of quarterbacks through whom a team's entire offense can run.

Now, with Wilson three years older and amid signs that he can't run away from pressure like he once did, any mending of fences will require a leap of faith that Wilson can find a way to defy Father Time and turn back the clock.

That's one of the reasons why Carroll basically gave, essentially, a "we’ll see" response to the question of whether Russ is on the Raiders' radar.

Here's the other reason: It's not Carroll's call. The decision will be at least heavily influenced — if not ultimately made — by minority owner/majority voice Tom Brady. He'll surely have an opinion as to whether Wilson can be the answer for the Raiders. And Brady is otherwise occupied with his Fox job until after the Super Bowl.

A Carroll-Wilson reunion isn't impossible. He's potentially a better option than the players currently under contract, Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell.

But the Raiders will have plenty of choices. Despite the personnel power Carroll enjoyed in Seattle, he'll be working with and/or answering to Brady when the time comes to pick a quarterback of the immediate future.