Mike McCarthy got to enjoy being introduced as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach on Tuesday. However, he doesn’t have much time to sit back and celebrate. He needs to assemble a coaching staff. The Steelers are already talking to a few different names, too. Reporter Mark Kaboly shared on Twitter that the Steelers will interview Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for that same role on their team.

The Steelers will interview Las Vegas DC Patrick Graham for their defensive coordinator spot, as well as Jason Simmons. Al Harris is not on their initial list, although there are strong ties between Harris and Mike McCarthy.

— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) January 27, 2026

He’s the second name connected to the Steelers’ opening at defensive coordinator. It was also reported that they’ll interview Washington Commanders defensive pass game coordinator Jason Simmons for the role.

Graham is a predictable name for the Steelers to talk to. He was with McCarthy in 2018 on the Green Bay Packers. While he was only the linebackers coach and run game coordinator there, he has ascended the ranks since.

Graham has been the Raiders’ defensive coordinator since 2022. His unit finished 14th in the league this past year, although the Raiders were the worst team in the NFL. Aside from his first year there, they’ve hovered around that spot with Graham running the defense.

It’s important to note that the Raiders haven’t given him much talent to work with, either. Maxx Crosby is a star, but the Raiders have lacked defensive stars recently.

That shouldn’t be an issue with the Steelers. While McCarthy’s roots aren’t on the defensive side of the ball, Pittsburgh already has a lot of quality defenders. T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, and Jalen Ramsey are all proven players. Joey Porter Jr., Derrick Harmon, and Nick Herbig are ascending players as well.

Kaboly also mentioned that Al Harris is not on the Steelers’ initial list of potential defensive coordinators. That’s a little surprising and disappointing. Harris is a former NFL corner, and McCarthy coached him for several years with the Green Bay Packers. Then, he was a member of McCarthy’s coaching staff with the Dallas Cowboys. This included him being their assistant head coach in 2024.

Harris was the defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator for the Chicago Bears last year, and he was great in that role. He was part of the staff that helped the Bears win the NFC North. Also, their defense led the league in takeaways.

However, perhaps they’ll interview Harris later. For now, Graham and Simmons are names to watch. The Steelers interviewed Graham for their defensive coordinator spot in 2022 as well, so there’s some familiarity there. It won’t be surprising if he gets the job.