There were a few skeptics when the Seattle Seahawks hired Pete Carroll in the Pacific Northwest, but they are a lot harder to find after the Seahawks won 11 games in 2012.
That's why we found it notable to see Carroll take some local heat in the wake of defensive end Bruce Irvin's suspension for performance-enhancing substances. Seven Seahawks players have tested positive for a substance since 2011. Six were forced to serve suspensions, with cornerback Richard Sherman successfully winning an appeal. John McGrath of the Tacoma News Tribune wonders how much Carroll should be held accountable.
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"I keep waiting for Carroll to deplore the fact his team, among 32 in the NFL, ranks No. 2 in drug suspensions since 2011. I keep waiting for him to acknowledge what the rest of us are thinking: Whatever policy the Seahawks are following to discourage players from performance-enhancing drugs, it isn't enough," McGrath wrote Sunday.
It's a fair criticism. Carroll speaks so well on many issues, yet McGrath points out that the coach turns "mum, dumb and numb" on PEDs. When a player takes a silly 15-yard penalty, he's taken to task for his mistake. No matter how these players are failing tests -- whether it's for Adderall or something else -- they are hurting the Seahawks organization by being suspended.
"The silence is creepy," McGrath writes.
Carroll usually calls the suspensions a "league issue," but it's turned into a Seattle Seahawks issue. Whether or not Carroll publicly addresses the trend, it's a problem he needs to get under control.
UPDATE: Carroll spoke to reporters after Monday's practice and said he'll re-evaluate his PED policy, according to KJR-FM's Elise Woodward. "It's not right yet," Carroll said. "We have to figure it out through education, or finding other ways."
Carroll also said they are not turning their back on Irvin. "We're going to help him as best we possibly can," he said. "He's made a tremendous commitment to try to do the right things and try to be right. He made a mistake. He admitted to it. He owned up to it to his teammates, he owned up to it to the staff and to everybody."
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
