Steelers' Mason McCormick Feels "Blessed" By Exciting New Coach

The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for a season that will see some major changes. With a new head coach and staff, there are a lot of transitional elements, including expectations, practice times, methods, and schemes. Among those changes come on the offensive line. The unit is still gelling together, but with a solid young core and the addition of two high-draft picks in 2026, the Black and Gold are following their trend of being stacked in the trenches. 

Now under a new staff, the unit is attempting to be one of the league's best. With strong foundations like center Zach Frazier, guard Mason McCormick, and tackle Troy Fautanu, Pittsburgh is looking for its linemen to continue to develop. With McCormick and Fautanu slated to command the left side of the line, the right side is still up in the air. However, with how well the front office has addressed the depth on the line, there are plenty of plug-and-play players to take on the right guard and tackle spots. There are even two rookies ready to step in when their names are called in Max Iheanachor at tackle and Gennings Dunker at guard, first- and third-round picks, respectively. 

With all of this talent and a new coaching staff, things are looking up for the group. McCormick, an emerging star at the guard position, was interviewed following Day 8 of Organized Team Activities (OTAs). He expressed his love for the new coaching staff, primarily new offensive line coach James Campen. McCormick's media availability was posted on the Steelers' website. 

"It's been really good. He's got different philosophies, as does every O-line coach. It's been awesome going from Coach [Pat] Meyer to Coach Campen. We've been blessed as a unit," McCormick said. 

This is a great sign for the group. The Steelers' offensive line is slowly going from being a young, inexperienced group, to a much more polished one. Campen will only hone in on the skills presented to him, and ensure that his players are set up for success in 2026 and beyond. Campen is a veteran coach, having been all around the league and being a former assistant of Head Coach Mike McCarthy's while with the Green Bay Packers. 

Campen has 21 years of NFL coaching experience, having coached eight players to Pro Bowl selections. The Steelers hope that Campen can continue the trend in the Steel City, especially with such a gifted group of young linemen in Pittsburgh. They need their offensive line to be an anchor in 2026, with its starting quarterback being the 42-year-old veteran in Aaron Rodgers. For the offense to succeed in McCarthy's West Coast, pass-heavy system, the pass protection will need to be fantastic in order to be efficient. 

The Steelers Have To Get The O-Line Combination Right

One of the more underrated dilemmas of the offseason isn't really a dilemma, but a good problem to have. The team seemingly has an abundance of capable linemen who can start at the right guard or right tackle positions. There are several players fighting to earn the right to those spots. For the offense to be at its peak, the coaching staff needs to make sure they get the combination right. Between vets like Brock Hoffman and Spencer Anderson going at it for the right guard role and Dylan Cook and Iheanachor at the right tackle, training camp will have plenty of storylines. 

It will come down to late July for the Steelers to lock in who they want their starting combination to be. This decision will prove to be a big one, especially when it comes to the right side. 

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