The Pittsburgh Steelers are going through some major changes in their organization for the first time in nearly two decades. Almost the entire coaching staff is brand new, headlined by Mike McCarthy coming in as the new leader. He will be trying to revive the offense, while defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will be trying to get this veteran filled — and expensive — defense back up to top of the league caliber to work right off of the other side of the ball.
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Steelers Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham stands with Head Coach Mike McCarthy during rookie minicamp in 2026.
With so many key players returning to the defense, Graham has a very strong core to work with, even with two elite defensive backs on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to open up training camp. As he tries to get the unit up to speed with his game-calling and changes from what happened in the past, he is showing players that he cares and trying to give a positive vibe to this team.
Recently extended edge rusher Nick Herbig spoke to the media after Day 3 of training camp and talked about how he has enjoyed working with Graham so far. He shared some positive insight about Graham's passion for the job, something that is an important trait when joining a new team.
Players have to acclimate to a new coach after years of trusting and learning from someone else, so having a good first impression like Herbig has is a big sign that the could be the one that the team has needed. 93.7 The Fan posted on X the interview of Herbig talking about Graham.
"Doesn't matter if it's 6 AM or 6 PM, that guys always got energy," Herbig said when describing Graham. "You know, you love to see that. Not just out of coaches just talking about it, but he's actually into it with you and he's showing you that he's just as passionate about it as you are."
Having positive energy is a great thing for players to feed off of. Herbig even said it, the players love to see that coming from him, which allows them to connect with him in a positive way. Inside linebacker Patrick Queen even talked about how strong the new coaching staff's attention to detail and communication has been so far. From both Queen and Herbig, there have been some very strong first impressions of the coaching staff.
This franchise hasn't won a playoff game in nearly a decade, so the change in staff was justified. Pittsburgh needed to hit on its coaching hires to get back to the level that the organization has been historically known for being at. These early notes about Graham are just what fans wanted to hear as they have waited a long time for this change within the franchise.
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Steelers insider linebacker Patrick Queen (6) and edge rusher TJ Watt (90) walk on the field as the team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
While it has just been three days of training camp, this small sample size is encouraging about what can come next. Now that some players have already taken a liking to Graham, he has to prove that his play-calling and packages work next.
The first look will be in the preseason, but the real test will be in the regular season. Personality only means so much before it really matters on the weekends. With McCarthy's track record with offensive first teams, Graham will have a lot to prove to help make this squad very well-rounded. They have all the pieces out there to be one of the stronger teams in the league and it will be up to the coaches to take these players to the next step.
Steelers Are Relying On Graham To Keep The Defense Strong
It'll be a big test for Graham this season in a competitive AFC North, but there's a lot of confidence in him. The pieces are all there on defense. Now, if the unit can turn his positive energy into results on the field, the Steelers could be looking at having one of the top defenses in the league.
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