The Pittsburgh Steelers are targeting veteran coach Patrick Graham as the team's next defensive coordinator, multiple sources told Steelers Now . The Steelers' interest in Graham was first reported by USA Today on Monday.
Graham is expected to be the second person to be confirmed as part of Mike McCarthy's new coaching staff in Pittsburgh, following receivers coach Adam Henry, who was announced as part of the group on Wednesday.
He and McCarthy are familiar to one another, with Graham having served as McCarthy's linebackers coach and defensive run game coordinator in McCarthy's final season with the Green Bay Packers in 2018.
Graham, 47 has been a defensive coordinator before, as well. He spent the last four seasons as the Las Vegas Raiders ' defensive coordinator, through three different head coaches. He held the same role for the Giants from 2020-21 and the Miami Dolphins in 2019. As a defensive coordinator, Graham has twice led top-10 defenses, with the Raiders in 2023 and the Giants in 2020.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium on Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; — Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Graham began his coaching career by learning from Bill Belichick from 2009-15, as a coaching assistant, defensive assistant, defensive line coach and linebackers coach. He was also a defensive line coach with the Giants from 2016-17.
A native of the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines, Illinois, Graham played defensive line at Yale and graduated with a degree in sociology. He coached at Wagner, Richmond, Notre Dame and Toledo before joining the NFL ranks.
Current Steelers secondary coach Gerald Alexander coach under Graham with the Raiders in 2024.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Set to Hire McCarthy Assistant for Defensive Coordinator Job
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