Seahawks coach Pete Carroll on Chris Petersen’s decision to step down: ‘I couldn’t applaud it more’

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll might be 68 years old, but he shows no signs of slowing down, having last year signed a contract extension taking him through the 2021 season.

But Carroll on Wednesday also said he understood fully why University of Washington coach Chris Petersen wanted to walk away from the game this week at the age of 55, even if it might just be temporary.

“He sees the world in a way that he wants to do some things differently,’’ Carroll said of Petersen, with whom he said he became friends once Petersen took over at UW in 2014. “I couldn’t applaud it more. That’s a hard choice to make. This is something we are so committed to and it calls on so much of us to be on everything that we’re doing that it’s all-consuming.’’

Carroll has a unique view on it having spent significant time as a head coach at the both the college (USC from 2001-09) and NFL levels (Seahawks since 2010, among other stops).

“The college thing is really, really demanding in terms of the constant recruiting pressure and strain,’’ Carroll said. “It’s really the strain of it. It just doesn’t go away. You’re on the next year always anyway. It’s just an ongoing process. That’s one part of it.”

The other, Carroll said, is handling expectations, especially when coaching at universities with track records of great success such as USC or Washington.

“In college ball, where we were, you lose a game and it’s like you lost eight,’’ Carroll said. “(It’s like) you almost went through a losing streak. It’s a little different in this league in that regard. It’s hard to win every game in this league, obviously. One team has done it ever. How many teams have lost one game? That doesn’t happen like that either. It’s a little bit different in that expectation. I think that mentally, it’s a little different. My hat’s off to Chris. I love what he did, and I love the team that he put together and all the stuff he’s ever done. He’s just going to figure it out from now and do something great again. He can’t help but do that.”

FIVE SIT OUT; ANSAH AND CLOWNEY LIMITED

With a short week ahead before the game Sunday night in Los Angeles against the Rams and the Seahawks back on the field Wednesday less than 48 hours following the end of their game Monday, the team held a walkthrough instead of a full practice.

Seattle listed five players as out: FB Nick Bellore (quad), TE Luke Willson (hamstring), LT Duane Brown (biceps/knee), CB Neiko Thorpe (core), LB Mychal Kendricks (hamstring). All are injuries the players had going into the Vikings game. Brown played fully and Kendricks played much of the game.

Four players were listed as limited: TE Jacob Hollister (quad), OL Mike Iupati (neck) and defensive ends Ziggy Ansah (neck) and Jadeveon Clowney (core).

Ansah suffered a stinger late in the game Monday, but Carroll said before practice that “he looks like he’s doing OK so far’’ and being on the field in any capacity is a positive sign.

Still, Carroll said the team will have to wait a few days to know for sure if he can play against the Rams.

“We won’t know for a couple days if he’s clear and all that,’’ Carroll said.

Clowney played 43 snaps against the Vikings after missing the game against the Eagles with a core muscle injury. He was examined in Philadelphia prior to the Eagles game and has said he will likely have to have surgery after the season.

But Carroll said Clowney made it through the Vikings game without incident.

“Pretty good,’’ Carroll said of how Clowney was feeling. “He’s practicing today and that’s a really good sign.”