"Love That Fact": Steelers' DC Patrick Graham Explained What He Enjoys About Pittsburgh's 2026 Coaching Staff

The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2026 offseason is going to likely shape the way the team looks for the next several years, and it will look very different now that former Head Coach Mike Tomlin is no longer with the team. New Head Coach Mike McCarthy is going to put his own spin on the collective, and the staff he has assembled is going to have its work cut out for it in order to convince Steeler Nation that the right group is in place to get the Steelers back to competing for championships. 

Arguably the most important addition to the Steelers' coaching staff this offseason was the addition of Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham. Like many of the staff that was brought in by McCarthy, Graham has been a part of a coaching staff alongside McCarthy when the two both were with the Green Bay Packers' coaching staff in 2018.

McCarthy bringing in a bunch of familiar faces that were members of his coaching staff in the past is something that has had many Steelers fans nervous at the moment, as the recent teams led by McCarthy haven't had much postseason success either. Regular-season success doesn't mean much to Steeler Nation anymore, as the franchise has now seen playoff victories are much more important. 

In a recent interview with Missi Matthews, Graham was interviewed and asked about joining the Steelers' staff and having many of the familiar faces around him. He was really excited that he has worked with some of the guys that were brought in in the past. It also helped that other individuals know each other as well.

"I love that fact that a few of us have worked together before," Graham said. "Then, some of the guys have worked together away from me for a long time. So, there is some familiarity for me there, especially on the backend."

Graham coming into a new situation with some familiar faces should make the adjustment period to a new place happen a little faster, but it has other benefits as well. Graham believes that working with the others in the building at previous places will help them better understand how they can operate in tandem with one another in the best way possible, and skip that learning phase between coaches. 

"We've all worked together at some point," Graham stated about the coaching staff. "So, there is that common language, and we all know how to work around each other. Everyone knows in the morning I am a little, well I need my time. They all know that, I don't have to go through that process there."

As like any worth environment, understanding how everyone operates is a huge part of success for any group. Having a staff that already has that fundamental understanding of how each person goes about their respective work days is a leg up on most new staffs, and hopefully can have the new Steelers' staff starting off like a group that has been in place for multiple seasons. 

Only time will tell if McCarthy was the right choice for the job and if assembling a staff full of familiar faces was the correct decision, but it definitely seems like the coaches on the staff appreciate the fact they are in Pittsburgh and are working with guys that they have in the past.

Steelers Mike McCarthy Has Mixed Reports From Players

McCarthy was a hire that was criticized by many, both fans and media alike, and there was a push for the organization to go a different route and find a young and fresh mind to restart the franchise. 

Well, McCarthy is the opposite, but comes with plenty of experience and tons of offensive success in the NFL, as well as credit for being a good developer of quarterbacks, which the Steelers desperately need. However, there are supposedly mixed reports from players on him as a coach and playing for him, which is going to be a stark change as players only gave Tomlin rave reviews throughout the years. 

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