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Mike McCarthy has brought in his first coordinator hire with Patrick Graham as a defensive coordinator. It’s exciting to see McCarthy choosing someone with some experience given that McCarthy is more of an offensive mind himself.
Graham will be taking over for a unit that was very underwhelming last season. The Steelers had the highest paid defense in football last year spending $178 million, yet were unable to play like it. Defensively, the Steelers ranked 26th in the NFL, allowing an average of 356.9 yards per game. With aging veterans like T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and Jalen Ramsey on the roster, Graham will have his work cut out for him.
Luckily for Pittsburgh, Graham has been able to find success with limited high end talent. Despite the lack of talent on defense the past three seasons his defense has ranked 15th or higher in yardage allowed per game. Hopefully with more talent at his disposal he’ll be able to make the jump to coaching a top 10 defense.
The Steelers invested heavily in their defense last season and failed to see the return. Graham’s track record of producing competitive defensive units without elite talent offers some optimism, especially given the talent in Pittsburgh. If he can maximize the Steelers’ veteran core, Graham has a chance to help turn an underperforming unit into one of the more reliable defenses.
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By Hunter Lambert
February 1, 2026
