It might all be window dressing but the Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be doing their due diligence in a search for a new defensive coordinator. Last week, Keith Butler announced he was retiring, leaving Pittsburgh in need of someone to run the defense.
Once the news was out, the foregone conclusion was it would be defensive assistant Teryl Austin being promoted to the position. However, in the last 24 hours it has come out that the Steelers have requested permission to interview New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Kris Richard and now New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
Graham feels like a real long shot here. He has passed up opportunities in the past to change teams because of his staunch loyalty to the Giants and is even getting an interview to be the team’s new head coach. It’s hard to imagine he wants to come to the Steelers so head coach Mike Tomlin can run the defense and he just sits back and does nothing.
The #Steelers put in a request to interview #Giants DC Patrick Graham for the same position in Pittsburgh, per source.
They're seeking a replacement for Keith Butler, who retired Saturday, and Graham is well-regarded.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 24, 2022
