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The Jacksonville Jaguars gave it one last shot, but Patrick Graham isn’t going anywhere.
In a behind-the-scenes coaching tug-of-war, the Jaguars made a late push to convince Graham to reconsider joining the Las Vegas Raiders as their defensive coordinator. NFL insider Josina Anderson spilled the details on X, revealing that Jacksonville kept calling Graham even after news broke that the Raiders were “working on a deal” to keep him.
“Yes, it’s true Patrick Graham was still receiving calls from the Jags to reconsider taking the DC job with the Raiders soon after the tweet went out that Las Vegas was ‘working on a deal’ with Graham, I’m told per sources,” Anderson posted. “Thus, the real-time tweet much later that same night noting when the Raiders contract was actually signed.”
In other words, Jacksonville wasn’t going down without a fight.
After a solid year leading the Raiders’ defense, Graham was firmly on Jacksonville’s radar, eventually interviewing with the team on Jan. 11. But as the Jaguars weighed their options, the Raiders — who had just hired Pete Carroll as head coach — moved quickly to lock Graham in.
For Graham, Carroll will be his third head coach for the franchise after previously working under Josh McDaniels and Antonio Pierce. For most coaches that’s a long change, but the Raiders clearly see Graham as a steadying presence inside the locker room.
And why wouldn’t they?
The Raiders’ defense quietly turned things around under Graham in 2024 after a slow start, despite a multitude of injuries. The team ranked 15th in total yards allowed (333.1 per game), 13th against the run (116.9), and 15th against the pass (216.2). More importantly, down the stretch, they allowed just 18.3 points per game from Weeks 15-18 — good for sixth-best in the NFL.
His players thrived, too. Linebacker Robert Spillane had a career year, racking up a franchise-record 158 tackles, while Maxx Crosby continued his dominance with 7.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, earning his fourth straight Pro Bowl nod.
With Graham staying in Vegas, Jaguars’ new head coach Liam Coen eventually landed on Green Bay Packers linebackers coach Anthony Campanile to take over Jacksonville’s defense.
As for Graham, he’ll get to work under Carroll, one of the best defensive minds of this era. It’s an intriguing partnership in Las Vegas, and one that Raider fans hope will lead to a solid season in 2025.
The post NFL rumors: Jaguars made last-second pitch to steal Raiders DC Patrick Graham appeared first on ClutchPoints.
