The Pittsburgh Steelers have gone through a complete overhaul on the coaching staff since the end of the 2025 season. That began with former head coach Mike Tomlin announcing that he would be stepping down the day after Pittsburgh was eliminated from the postseason. Mike McCarthy was eventually hired, and he brought in his own coaching staff. Only two coaches remain from Tomlin's staff, and they both had prior experience with McCarthy, which seems to almost be a prerequisite to be hired onto his staff for the 2026 season. It will be interesting to see how the 2026 season unfolds with so much changing within the organization in a short period of time.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers talking things over at practice in the summer of 2026.
Obviously, the change at head coach will be the biggest thing to get used to, but the entire structure of the coaching staff is now going to be different. McCarthy is going to be calling the offensive plays, while new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will be completely in charge of the defense. If someone were to ask which new coach on the staff would be the most important for the 2026 season, either McCarthy or Graham would be completely reasonable answers. However, beat writer Mike DeFabo had a different answer in his most recent mailbag for The Athletic.
"Patrick Graham inherits the NFL’s highest-paid defense, and I have faith he can get them to play at a higher level. That being said, I'll say James Campen," DeFabo wrote. "By investing so heavily in the offensive line, the Steelers have made Campen one of the most important people in the entire organization. He has a proven track record of producing Pro Bowlers from mid-round picks. At a position with so much youth and talent that needs to be developed, Campen is the right man for the job."
The offensive line has been improving at a steady rate for Pittsburgh over the last couple of years, but there is still a long way to go before the franchise gets to where it wants to be. Offensive Line Coach James Campen is going to play a major role in making that happen.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers offensive lineman Gennings Dunker goes through drills during rookie minicamp while James Campen watches on.
Campen's presence in Pittsburgh is important due to the young group on the offensive line. Troy Fautanu, Mason McCormick, and Zach Frazier are all entering their third seasons. That is a pretty good trio at center and on the left side, but the organization would like to see all three players take the next step.
In addition to those three, the right side of the offensive line is currently up in the air. Spencer Anderson and Dylan Cook are the current placeholders at right guard and right tackle, respectively. That could change once Gennings Dunker and Max Iheanachor get more acclimated to the NFL, which Campen is going to play a large part in.
Steelers' James Campen Has A Great Track Record
Campen played in the NFL for about seven seasons, and his coaching history is extensive. He has spent most of his career with the Green Bay Packers, where he was the offensive line coach for 11 seasons. He joined the organization in 2004 and took on smaller roles before being promoted in 2007. He spent a lot of his time there with both McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and he coached seven Pro Bowl offensive linemen during his time with Green Bay. He was also on the staff that beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.
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Steelers coaches Mike McCarthy (left) and James Campen (right) talk during their time working together in Green Bay.
Campen has also spent time with the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, and Los Angeles Chargers. Now, he reunites with McCarthy and Rodgers in Pittsburgh. The trio will be looking to recapture some of the magic they found in Green Bay.
What do you think about Campen being one of the most important coaches in Pittsburgh for the 2026 season? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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