The Las Vegas Raiders' instability has been well-documented. Set to hire their sixth head coach in as many years this offseason, and ready to make Fernando Mendoza the eighth quarterback to start a game since Derek Carr's departure, things have been a train wreck in Las Vegas.
Outside of a handful of key players like Maxx Crosby, Kolton Miller, Daniel Carlson and A.J. Cole, turnover in the building has been frequent. New coaching staffs come in seemingly every year to mix things up, leaving almost no returners in their wake.
Except for defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
Originally brought to Las Vegas by Josh McDaniels, Graham stayed on for the tenures of both Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll. But with another regime shift coming this offseason, Graham isn't waiting to find out who the Raiders will hire.
Raiders' tenured DC Patrick Graham lands with Steelers in same role
Smoke has been building around the idea of Graham joining Mike McCarthy's staff with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the same capacity, as the two have a relationship dating back to 2018. CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz confirmed that Graham finalized a deal to become the Steelers' defensive coordinator on Thursday.
Now, this has not yet been announced by Pittsburgh, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that Graham still has to fly in and interview. But he is considered the frontrunner, and Fowler also reported that Washington Commanders assistant Jason Simmons is expected to rejoin the Steelers' staff.
So, it seems like the puzzle pieces are already being put together in Pittsburgh, meaning Graham's time in Las Vegas is officially over. His return was unlikely anyway, but this essentially closes the curtains on Graham surviving under four different head coaches with the Silver and Black.
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Graham never led an elite defense for the Raiders, but he was saddled with poor talent. Plus, the Las Vegas offense never held up its end of the bargain, making things infinitely more difficult for Graham's group.
Whoever the Silver and Black end up hiring to be their next head coach, the hope is that they can bring in an even better defensive coordinator than Graham. Again, Graham wasn't a disaster in his role like so many others in Las Vegas, but he and the Raiders both clearly needed a change of scenery.
Raider Nation should salute Graham for putting up with all of the dysfunction over the years in Las Vegas and still churning out at least a solid defense. He was always gracious when speaking to the media and took his share of the blame. He falls under the umbrella of "Once a Raider, always a Raider."