The Pittsburgh Steelers have completely overhauled their coaching staff heading into the 2026 season. Head coach Mike McCarthy will lead the team in his first season at the helm as the Steelers prepare to report to Saint Vincent College for training camp. Fans will certainly flock to Chuck Noll Field not just to watch a reloaded roster practice, they will also eagerly await their first look at the new coaching staff in action. Add one national analyst to the list of optimists. NFL Network's Brian Baldinger highlighted new offensive line coach James Campen as a huge hire at assistant coach.
Baldinger joined the Daily Flock podcast and gave a rundown on the state of the Steelers' overhaul. He ultimately argued that everything hinges on quarterback Aaron Rodgers and keeping him healthy. What stood out most was Baldinger's assessment of Campen relative to what the Steelers had previously.
"They have continued to try to bolster the offensive line," Baldinger said when discussing the Steelers' offensive line. "[Campen] is infinitely better than what they've had."
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Campen Brings a Strong, Successful Reputation to the Steelers
A glance at Campen's stops since leaving Green Bay might not inspire immediate confidence. However, outside of the disastrous 2021 Houston Texans and 2023 Carolina Panthers, his units ranked no worse than 16th in sacks allowed. His strongest track record undoubtedly belongs to his time in Green Bay, and if anything, his subsequent team-hopping had more to do with constant head coach turnover than with his own performance.
From 2019 to 2023, Campen worked under a new head coach nearly every year, from Freddie Kitchens to Frank Reich. Many of those head coaches were running doomed campaigns from the start and are no longer in the NFL. After enduring a string of brutal coaching stints, Campen stepped away from the game.
Now he gets a fresh start with the most talented group he has coached in nearly a decade. Between 2007 and 2017, Campen developed nine offensive linemen who went on to start for at least seven or more years in the NFL, and five of them became Pro Bowlers. The track record is there. Like many coaches and players, Campen simply needed stability.
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Campen Has a Wealth of Upside and Talent on the Steelers' Offensive Line
The Steelers currently boast up to three first-round offensive tackles, a second-round center, a third-round guard, and a fourth-round guard, personnel either already penciled into the starting lineup or competing for a starting job. It is exactly the kind of high-draft-pedigree talent that every position coach wants to work with. These players are young and relatively inexperienced, but they carry enormous upside and untapped potential. Even if Campen develops just two or three Pro Bowlers from this group, that would represent a massive win.
Still, Campen has his work cut out for him. It remains unclear when Broderick Jones will be healthy. Troy Fautanu is very much on the rise but may now shift to left tackle. Max Iheanacho is as raw a talent as Jones, with similarly high upside. Add Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, and Gennings Dunker to the mix, and there is a great deal of young talent in need of development. Fortunately, McCarthy figures to give Campen exactly what he needs: stability and time.
If there was ever an under-the-radar hire with the potential to pay major dividends, it is Campen joining the Steelers.
