Steelers’ Mike McCarthy bolsters staff with ex-Packers coach hire

The Pittsburgh Steelers continued to build out their coaching staff under new head coach Mike McCarthy on Thursday, hiring veteran NFL assistant James Campen as the team’s offensive line coach. Campen reunites with McCarthy after a lengthy and successful partnership with the Green Bay Packers that lasted more than a decade.

Campen served as Green Bay’s offensive line coach from 2007 through 2018, working under McCarthy for 12 seasons. During that period, the Packers consistently fielded strong and durable offensive line units and won Super Bowl XLV in the 2010 season, defeating Pittsburgh 31–25. In his final year with Green Bay, Campen also held the title of run game coordinator.

Before transitioning into coaching, Campen played center at Tulane and later in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints (1986–88) and the Packers (1989–93). He appeared in 67 NFL games and built his coaching resume shortly after retiring, joining Green Bay’s staff in 2004 as an assistant offensive line coach and quality control coach. He was promoted to assistant offensive line coach in 2006, McCarthy’s first season as Packers head coach, and elevated to offensive line coach the following year.

After leaving Green Bay, Campen moved through several NFL stops, including the Cleveland Browns in 2019 as associate head coach and offensive line coach, followed by single-season spells with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020 and Houston Texans in 2021. His most recent NFL role came with the Carolina Panthers, where he coached the offensive line during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Campen’s long-standing relationship with Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers also makes his hiring meaningful. The two worked together in Green Bay for more than a decade, and Rodgers publicly praised Campen in a 2021 Instagram post, calling him “more than just a coach.”

Rodgers started all 16 games for Pittsburgh in the 2025 season, throwing for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while leading the Steelers to a 10–7 record and an AFC North division title. However, Pittsburgh lost 30–6 to the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card round. The 42-year-old is currently weighing whether to return for the 2026 season, which would be his 22nd year in the league, and the Steelers have reportedly given him a one-month deadline to make a decision.

From a roster standpoint, Campen inherits a young offensive line that Pittsburgh has stocked through the draft. Top guns include left tackle Broderick Jones (2023 first-round pick), right tackle Troy Fautanu (2024 first-round pick), center Zach Frazier (2024 second-round pick), and guard Mason McCormick (2024 fourth-round pick).

Campen also joins linebackers coach Scott McCurley as a member of McCarthy’s Steelers staff with experience working under him.

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