Last year, the Seahawks unceremoniously kicked head coach Pete Carroll to the curb. This year, he’s looking for a new NFL ride.

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that Carroll wants back in. Which means, frankly, that Carroll’s agent has specifically told this to Schefter in the hopes that Schefter would broadcast it to the world, in the hopes of generating public opinion. Then, Carroll’s agent will owe Schefter big time.

And that’s how the sausage gets made.

Carroll, per the report/strategic leak, specifically has expressed interest in the Bears’ vacancy. Which obviously means nothing, unless the Bears have interest in Carroll.

Given that the team’s No. 1 objective (we’re told) is to hire a coach who will get the most out of quarterback Caleb Williams, a defensive coach whose best NFL teams were fueled by that side of the ball most likely won’t be the right guy to pair with Williams.

Carroll could be a good fit elsewhere, depending on the specific needs and objectives of the franchise. He’s only one year older than Bill Belichick. Unlike Belichick, Carroll has actually has had success without Tom Brady on his team.

It’s hard to fault Carroll’s agent for trying to use the media to get the word out about Carroll. That’s the agent’s job. It’s not the media’s job, however, to engage in quid pro quo P.R. for coaching candidates.

It’s one thing to express authentic and organic and unsolicited opinions, like we did recently when questioning whether Brian Flores’s lawsuit against the NFL and multiple teams will stand in the way of a second head-coaching opportunity. It’s another thing to let your strings be pulled by “sources” (probably only one source, but making it plural always sounds better) who want to get their back scratched — and who will return the favor, possibly many times over.