Seahawks coach Pete Carroll succinctly shot down a report linking him to the Rams.
First, when asked Tuesday about the story linking him to the open coaching job, the former USC coach gave reporters an "I have no comment about that."
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Pressed specifically if he would rule out becoming the Rams coach, he said, "Yes."
Case closed, right? (Although plenty of coaches say they have no interest in jobs and end up taking them.) Here's why to believe Carroll, according to The Seattle Times.
1. Before this season, Carroll, 65, signed an extension with the Seahawks that means they could ask the Rams for draft-choice compensation.
2. Not coincidentally, Carroll signed the extension that runs through 2019 only after the Seahawks extended GM John Schneider's contract through 2021. Carroll frequently talks about his close working relationship with Schneider.
3. Carroll, who'll turn 68 early in the final season of the new contract, knows it coincides with the peak years of core Seahawks players like Russell Wilson, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman and Michael Bennett.
Believe Pete Carroll.