Much to the chagrin of Pittsburgh faithful, the Steelers have decided on their next head coach in former Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy.
McCarthy’s hiring came as a surprise to most. The 62-year-old took a year off after he was fired by the Cowboys following five seasons, going 49-35 overall and 1-3 in the playoffs.
Now that the Steelers have their next head coach in place, attention shifts to how McCarthy will fill out his staff — most notably at offensive and defensive coordinator.
One early report from USA Today’s Art Stapleton suggests McCarthy could reunite with one of his former assistants on the defensive side.
“Been hearing former Giants and Raiders DC Patrick Graham’s name as a possible defensive coordinator for Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh. Graham was with McCarthy in Green Bay,” Stapleton said.
If that ends up being the direction the Steelers go, it’s the type of move that could have fans shaking their heads before McCarthy even coaches his first game.
More Steelers on Heavy: Bill Cowher Sends Clear Message on Steelers Hiring Mike McCarthy
Steelers Fans Probably Won’t Like a Patrick Graham Hire
There is familiarity between McCarthy and Graham, but it was short-lived. Graham spent one season in Green Bay in 2018 as the team’s linebackers coach and run game coordinator before leaving to become the Miami Dolphins’ defensive coordinator the following year.
Graham only lasted one season in Miami before landing the same job with the New York Giants for two years, then spending the last four seasons as the Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive coordinator. But his track record as a play-caller hasn’t exactly been something to get excited about.
In seven seasons as a defensive coordinator, Graham has coached a top-10 defense in the league just twice — once with the Giants and once with the Raiders. Even that comes with context. During the 2020 Covid season, New York ranked ninth in scoring, 12th in yards allowed and 10th in takeaways. Last season with the Raiders, his unit ranked 25th in scoring defense, 14th in total defense, and 23rd in takeaways.
Defense wasn’t Pittsburgh’s problem this season. The bigger issues were on the other side of the ball. Still, bringing in a defensive coordinator like Graham — someone without a strong résumé of consistently elite defenses — wouldn’t sit well with a fan base already skeptical about the direction the franchise is heading.
For comparison, the Steelers ranked 17th in scoring defense, 26th in total defense, and fifth in takeaways this season.
Why Did Steelers Hire Mike McCarthy?
Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Jan. 26, ESPN’s Adam Schefter explained why the Steelers, who won the AFC North in 2025, went with McCarthy over other head coaching candidates.
Schefter said owner Art Rooney II didn’t want to move into a rebuild and believed McCarthy’s experience was a major factor in the decision.
“They felt a guy like Mike McCarthy, who has the experience he does, who’s familiar with grooming quarterbacks, could be helpful either growing Mason Rudolph and Will Howard or whoever they draft or potentially even helping to lure back Aaron Rodgers,” Schefter said.
Schefter added that McCarthy’s hiring wasn’t tied directly to a plan of bringing Rodgers back, but said that scenario would be more of a bonus than the driving force behind the decision.
“The standard is the standard in Pittsburgh,” Schefter said. “By going and hiring the oldest coach they’ve ever had.”
Now, Steelers fans wait to see how McCarthy assembles his staff and reshapes the roster heading into the 2026 season. If the rumors about Patrick Graham turn into reality, though, the criticism may only get louder.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Mike McCarthy May Have Steelers Fans Shaking Their Heads With Potential Packers Reunion at DC appeared first on Heavy Sports.