Pittsburgh Steelers fans should be on board with the hirings of Mike McCarthy and Patrick Graham. They should also be intrigued by the idea of Malik Willis becoming the team’s quarterback.
But they better dial back the enthusiasm on Will Howard, and the notion of selecting a quarterback in the first round of this April’s draft when it comes to town.
Those are the opinions of my Fox Sports Radio 970 co-host and Steelers Nation Radio football guru Matt Williamson. The former pro and college scout who hosts “The Drive” on SNR joined me Monday on 105.9 The X and gave a hearty endorsement to Graham as the Steelers’ defensive coordinator.
Williamson said Graham occasionally made the Raiders competitive on defense despite having “the worst personnel in the league” beyond star pass rusher Maxx Crosby.
“You give him garbage ingredients, and he’ll make you a dinner that’s edible. Now, if you give him good ingredients, I’m interested in that,” Williamson said. “Super smart. Played at Yale. Has been part of some terrible head coaching situations and organizations, and has always gotten more out of his talent. That was my biggest beef with the Steelers’ defensive staff, including (Mike) Tomlin. I don’t think that they got enough schematic advantages on a week-to-week basis, and I don’t think they maximize their talent on defense, something this guy does.”
That said, he wasn’t wild about hearing McCarthy’s press conference love letter to the Steelers’ increasingly outdated 3-4 approach.
“I understand that you don’t want a wholesale change in terms of defensive personnel. (You don’t want) to install something that (T.J.) Watt doesn’t fit, or Cam Heyward doesn’t fit in,” Williamson said. “But the way it came out of his mouth? It sounded like we were talking about 30 years ago.”
Beyond that, though, Williamson has gotten on board with the decision to hire McCarthy because he was the best candidate available to keep the franchise in line with its goal of being a playoff-worthy competitor every year.
“We know (that) is super important to that organization. If you hate that about the Steelers, you should root for a different team. They’re not going to be fine with a three-win season,” Williamson said.
“I’ve warmed up to it a lot.”
In particular, Williamson expects the offense to get better.
“He gets a lot out of his quarterbacks — not just the great ones. His passing game is really hard to defend. The offense will be better,” Williamson insisted.
Where Williamson may be dubious of McCarthy’s intentions is if Aaron Rodgers comes back at quarterback, or they go with Will Howard in 2026.
“I hate, ‘What else are they going to do?’ as an answer to the problem,” Williamson said of Rodgers’ potential return. “And the Howard stuff is crazy to me. It’s crazy at the point where it’s gotten. I definitely want to see more. I get asked every day, ‘Is he the answer?’ I don’t know how we could possibly think he’s the answer. I’m intrigued. I would have loved to see preseason stuff of him, (but) I feel like I know as much about him now as the day they drafted him and he was a sixth-round prospect.”
If Williamson had his choice, he’d prefer to see the Steelers consider another former Green Bay Packer at quarterback, free-agent-to-be Malik Willis.
“I’ve been talking about this for months. I think he could be the answer without costing you the draft capital. It could be that’s worth the bite of the apple,” Williamson said.
A 26-year-old out of Liberty, Williamson sees a lot of improvement in Willis after spending his past two seasons with the Packers.
“That offense (at Liberty) was so simplistic. It was, if your first reads aren’t there, run. You’re the best athlete on the field. Really small program,” Williamson continued. “He’s come a long way. Green Bay, (Matt) LaFleur, especially, has really nurtured him. There’s not a ton to go off of, but there’s a lot of ability there. And if I can possibly get my answer without using a draft pick on him, I’m really interested.”
LOOK AT MALIK WILLIS ????
BALvsGB on @peacock
Also streaming on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/K4Aquiizo7— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025
Another reason Williamson wants Pittsburgh to consider Willis is that this is also a mediocre draft crop of QBs.
“I don’t think this is a year for that,” Williamson said of the Steelers thinking QB at pick No. 21. “(Fernando) Mendoza is going to go No. 1 to the Raiders. That’s basically in stone. I’d be shocked if any of these other guys prove enough that you’d even consider him at 21. Maybe a Day 2 player.”
I disagree with Matt on the McCarthy hire and how much upside there really is to Willis. But I’m willing to keep an open mind on Graham, and I certainly share his critique of the former Steelers coaching staff and of the idea of bringing back Rodgers.
I also think he is right about Howard and the current QB draft class. You can hear the full conversation from 105.9 The X below.