Steelers Nearing Patrick Graham DC Hire

Patrick Graham served as the Raiders’ defensive coordinator under three HCs, being retained by both Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll. With a to-be-determined Raiders HC arriving, Graham is close to landing on his feet elsewhere.

The Steelers are close to hiring him as their next DC, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reports. Graham interviewed for the position recently. Graham, 47, spent a year on Mike McCarthy‘s Packers staff, serving as an assistant during the new Steelers HC’s final year in Green Bay (2018). He has been a defensive coordinator ever since.

A longtime Patriots staffer, Graham reunited with Josh McDaniels as the Raiders’ DC in 2022. This came after he had served in that capacity with the Dolphins (2019) and Giants (2020-21). Two ex-Patriot HCs (Brian Flores, Joe Judge) appointed Graham to those posts, and while a third hired him when the McDaniels reunion commenced, Graham impressed enough to stick around in Las Vegas under Pierce and Carroll. He appears close to reuniting with McCarthy.

The Raiders have struggled on defense for the better part of a two-plus-decade span. They have only ranked in the top half of the league in scoring once since their Super Bowl XXXVII season. That came under Graham in 2023, when the team ranked ninth. The Raiders were unable to sustain that form over the past two seasons, ranking 25th in each campaign. The team did lose prized free agent signing Christian Wilkins early in 2024, before a contentious 2025 separation, and lost a few starters (Robert Spillane, Tre’von Moehrig, Nate Hobbs) in free agency this past offseason.

Pittsburgh had employed Teryl Austin as its DC for the past four seasons. Mike Tomlin only had three DCs in 19 seasons; Keith Butler‘s stint covered 2015-21, and Dick LeBeau‘s second Steelers stop lasted from 2004-14). Graham has also been a regular on the HC carousel. He met about the Dolphins’ HC position this year and interviewed for the Commanders’ DC job. The Jaguars met twice with Graham about their HC post last year, while the Chargers and Seahawks interviewed him in 2024.

While more staff turnover will be expected, McCarthy plans to retain a few Tomlin assistants. Quarterbacks coach Tom Arth, DBs coach Gerald Alexander and linebackers coach Scott McCurley are coming back, Dulac adds. The team was also planning to retain veteran special teams coordinator Danny Smith, according to the Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly, but that was before the McCarthy hire became known. Smith is now the Buccaneers’ ST coordinator.

McCurley will reunite with his longtime boss, as McCarthy oversaw the veteran defensive staffer throughout his Green Bay years before bringing him to Dallas as linebackers coach in 2020. McCarthy’s first Packers season (2006) doubled as McCurley’s NFL debut. Arth has coached the Steelers’ QBs for three seasons, while Alexander has been on the team’s staff for two stops.

After coaching on Tomlin’s staff from 2022-23, he was the Raiders’ safeties coach in ’24. Tomlin rehired him in 2025. Graham coming to Pittsburgh would make for a reunion with Alexander, who has been on the DC carousel previously.

Pittsburgh is also hiring Adam Henry as its new wide receivers coach, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe adds. Henry spent the past three years as the Bills’ wideouts coach. He has a connection to McCarthy, having been the Cowboys’ WRs coach from 2020-21 before leaving to be Indiana’s OC for a year. Henry has also coached wideouts with the 49ers, Browns and Giants since 2015.

While the Bills struggled at the position post-Stefon Diggs, Khalil Shakir made the transition from fifth-rounder to the team’s most reliable target during Henry’s time. The 2021 Cowboys also featured three 800-yard receivers (CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup) in 2021.