Pete Carroll is speaking out — and he’s not holding back.
After a disastrous Raiders season and Geno Smith’s departure, the veteran coach is taking responsibility… while also firing shots at the franchise that fired him.

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Pete Carroll Takes Blame for Geno Smith’s Raiders Struggles — Then Calls Out Front Office

Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll has finally broken his silence following his abrupt firing — and his comments are stirring major debate across the NFL.

Carroll didn’t hesitate to defend quarterback Geno Smith, who was recently traded to the New York Jets, while also pointing the finger at the Raiders organization for the team’s disastrous season.

After finishing with 14 losses in his lone year in Las Vegas, Carroll admitted the coaching staff didn’t do enough to help Smith succeed.

But he also made it clear that deeper problems inside the franchise played a major role.

Carroll Defends Geno Smith

Despite the Raiders’ struggles, Carroll made one thing very clear: he still believes in Geno Smith.

“He’s a phenomenal quarterback,” Carroll said. “He had a fantastic offseason and preseason with us.”

According to Carroll, Smith started the season strong before everything began to unravel.

“Then we just faltered and faltered,” Carroll explained. “We didn’t do well enough coaching.”

Carroll said he takes significant responsibility for how the season unfolded.

“We should’ve had him better prepared for the things that happened,” he admitted. “That’s very disappointing for us both.”

The Raiders’ Offensive Line Was a Disaster

While Carroll accepted some blame, he also didn’t shy away from criticizing the Raiders’ roster construction — especially the offensive line.

The numbers paint a brutal picture.

Smith was sacked 55 times during the season, while throwing 17 interceptions, the most he’s had since his rookie year in 2013.

Las Vegas ranked near the bottom of the NFL in protection:

• 28th in pass blocking
• 30th in run blocking

According to Carroll, the team simply didn’t invest enough resources to fix the problem.

“We got killed,” Carroll said bluntly.

“Our offensive guys up front… we got murdered.”

Carroll argued that the organization failed to properly address the offensive line during both the draft and free agency.

“We needed to upgrade that more than we did,” he said. “It didn’t happen in the draft, and it didn’t happen in the offseason.”

A Quarterback Left Exposed

Without a reliable offensive line, Smith was constantly under pressure.

Carroll suggested that situation forced the Raiders into a pass-heavy offense that made matters worse.

“The only reason you get sacked that much is because you try to throw it too much,” he explained.

Ultimately, the collapse led to sweeping changes.

Carroll was fired in January after the brutal season, and the Raiders are now preparing to draft quarterback Francisco Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick.

Meanwhile, Smith was shipped to the New York Jets, the same team where his NFL career originally began back in 2013.

Carroll Still Supports Smith’s Future

Despite everything that happened in Las Vegas, Carroll said he’s rooting for Smith as he returns to New York.

“If he figured out that New York was a good place for him and he wanted to do it, I couldn’t support him more,” Carroll said.

“I love the guy and want the very best for him. He deserves it.”

For Carroll, the chapter in Las Vegas may be closed.

But his defense of Geno Smith — and his criticism of the Raiders’ leadership — ensures that the fallout from that disastrous season is far from over.