After a comment from Pete Carroll in response to a question about the Las Vegas Raiders playing their starters in preseason Week 1, many believed the team would indeed field its ones on Thursday against the Seattle Seahawks.
"Everybody's live, everybody's ready to go," Carroll said on Tuesday.
However, a Seahawks beat writer who covered Carroll for years is pumping the brakes on that notion.
"As a 14-year veteran of Pete Carroll press conference, I'm quite confident noting that Pete saying 'everybody's live, everybody's ready to go' is far from a declaration that starters are playing Thursday," Seahawks beat writer John Boyle said.
While the Raiders playing their starters for preseason Week 1 seems to be up in the air still, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald made it clear Seattle will not be sending out its starters.
"We're not going to be playing our starters, but we're going to go compete like heck, I think Pete [Carroll] would appreciate that," Macdonald said.
It would make at least some sense for the Raiders to give their starters a look in live-game action during the preseason, as the team has several new players on both sides of the ball, including at quarterback, where Geno Smith is taking over for the failed combination of Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell.
The preseason Week 1 contest at Lumen Field will be a homecoming for three Raiders in Carroll, Smith and former safety-turned-linebacker Jamal Adams.
“I loved my time in Seattle and I love the fans… but it’s a game for us,” Carroll said, per Nick Walter of KTNV.
Vegas Sports Today reported that the Seahawks are planning a tribute to Carroll, Smith and Adams.
The Raiders and Seahawks will square off on Thursday night, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. PT.
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