Mike Tomlin stepped down as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach this offseason. However, the changes for the Steelers didn’t stop there. They also parted ways with most of Tomlin’s coaching staff, allowing Mike McCarthy to bring in many of his own guys.
While former NFL offensive lineman Brian Baldinger still isn’t sure how Aaron Rodgers is going to perform this season, he likes a lot of the moves that Pittsburgh has made, particularly the addition of offensive line coach James Campen.
“It all hinges, in Pittsburgh, on Aaron,” Baldinger said Monday on The Daily Flock podcast. “Can he stay healthy? Is he just gonna try and get rid of the ball in less than two seconds? It’s gonna come out fast. He doesn’t want to get hit anymore. They have continued to try to bolster the offensive line, not just for him, but to run the ball better than they have.
“They’ve got a lot of age on defense. It’s a new way of doing things. It seems like it’s a pretty clean slate with what Mike McCarthy’s done. The offensive line coach is infinitely better than what they’ve had. I think the coaching staff is better than what they had. They have better targets. The offense should be better.”
Campen is a veteran coach, getting his start in the NFL in 2004 with the Green Bay Packers. He became the team’s primary offensive line coach in 2007, which was McCarthy’s second year as Packers head coach. Therefore, the two of them have a lot of history together, being in Green Bay together for over a decade.
Pat Meyer was the Steelers’ offensive line coach before Campen, initially getting the job in 2022. He got a lot of flak during his time in Pittsburgh, but it seemed like the team’s offensive line was starting to come together under him more recently.
Baldinger’s praise for Campen isn’t necessarily a dig at Meyer. It just speaks to how great Campen has been. The Packers produced several Pro Bowl offensive linemen during his Green Bay tenure, and they didn’t often spend top draft picks on any of those positions, either. Green Bay only used two first-round picks on offensive lineman during Campen’s time coaching that group.
Campen’s walking into a good situation with the Steelers, too. They’ve got a lot of young, moldable talent in their offensive line room. That includes third-year players Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, and Mason McCormick, as well as rookies Max Iheanachor and Gennings Dunker.
If he’s as good as Baldinger thinks he is then Pittsburgh’s offensive line could be set for years to come.
This year will be a big test for those players, though. We’ll see how they adjust going from Meyer to Campen. Baldinger is correct that the Steelers’ season depends heavily on how well Rodgers plays. Keeping him upright and not under duress will be key for Pittsburgh’s success. Campen will need to get the Steelers’ offensive line ready to meet that challenge.
