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(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Patrick Graham had been the Las Vegas Raiders‘ defensive coordinator since 2022, up until this offseason. After the firing of former head coach Pete Carroll, Graham’s time with the Silver and Black also came to an end.
Graham joined the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason as their defensive coordinator, reuniting with Mike McCarthy. In 2018, Graham was part of McCarthy’s coaching staff with the Green Bay Packers as their run game coordinator, and now he joins him with the Steelers.
In a video published on the Steelers’ YouTube channel on Feb. 20, Graham explained his decision to reunite with McCarthy and take the defensive coordinator job in Pittsburgh.
“One, it starts with Mike and just knowing Mike from my time at Green Bay, and just how much I admired him throughout my career, being a young coach, and the respect I had for him, then finally getting to work with him for one year and staying in contact,” Graham said. “Two, the tradition of the Steelers, as a defensive coach, to be able to come here and try to earn our place in that tradition.
“That’s really near and dear to my heart, and I don’t take it lightly. I’m very fortunate to be in that situation. Then, as it always comes down to when you have a choice, it comes down to the players. There are so many good and productive football players on that side of the ball here.”
Raiders Replace Patrick Graham With In-House Promotion
Meanwhile, the Raiders have also moved on from Graham, going in-house to fill his role with Rob Leonard this offseason, who was named defensive coordinator for new head coach Klint Kubiak. Leonard joined the Raiders after spending one season with the Baltimore Ravens as an outside linebackers coach in 2022.
Moreover, Leonard was promoted from run game coordinator/defensive line coach and now has a chance to be the play caller on defense. It will mark his fourth season with the Silver and Black, bringing 16 years of coaching experience overall to his new position, including 13 seasons at the NFL level.
Klint Kubiak Gets Blunt Advice From Dad
The Raiders will usher in a new, younger era with Kubiak’s coaching staff. While the new head coach has Super Bowl-winning experience, it’s still his first time leading a team. As a result, his dad, former NFL head coach Gary Kubiak, didn’t hold back on the advice he’s giving his son ahead of the 2026 season.
During a Feb. 17 appearance on “Unnecessary Roughness,” the former Denver Broncos head coach didn’t hold back his thoughts on Klint becoming a head coach and carrying on the family legacy.
“I could tell after a couple of years being away and sitting here at home and watching him coach at other places and getting those phone calls every day, I could tell how wrapped up he was in his career and what he wanted to do,” Kubiak told Q Myers on Raider Nation Radio.
“You just try to encourage them. It’s a hard business. Very difficult to win and be successful, but I just always encourage him. If you coach for the right reasons, if you coach because you want to make a difference in players’ lives and you want to make a difference in people’s lives, then you’ll be fine. I’m excited that he coaches for all the right reasons.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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