Steelers' Mike McCarthy Makes Obvious Change That Villainizes The Former Coaching Staff

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be a very different team in 2026, and that starts with almost an entirely new coaching staff. Very few assistant coaches remain the same from the 2025 season as new head coach Mike McCarthy brought a lot of his own guys into the fold. The coaching changes have been welcomed, and there is going to be some lineup changes that come as well, particularly on the offensive line. The entire unit has essentially been shuffled around. Nothing is set in stone, but the starting five throughout the start of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) has been drastically different from what was on the field during the 2025 season.

As of right now, the only position on the offensive line that remains unchanged from the 2025 season is center as Zach Frazier will be back in his role there. Outside of that, a lot is going to be different. It seems like Troy Fautanu could be the left tackle while Mason McCormick lines up at left guard -- meaning both players are switching sides of the offensive line. On the right side, it could be Spencer Anderson at right guard with either Dylan Cook or Max Iheanachor at right tackle. 

Beat writer Ray Fittipaldo joined 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday to discuss the offensive line, and he spoke on the changing of positions for several players.

"Maybe these guys are just getting placed in positions where they are a little more comfortable," Fittipaldo said. "For whatever reason, that never happened with the previous staff."

Former head coach Mike Tomlin and his staff played plenty of offensive linemen out of position. McCormick played left guard in college, but lined up on the right side for the Steelers over the last two years. The same is true of Fautanu at the tackle position. Anderson was a right guard in college, but has played more snaps at left guard in the pros. Being versatile is important, but it is also critical to place guys in spots where they are set up to succeed.

Players getting stuck in different positions on the offensive line isn't always at the fault of coaching. Sometimes injuries occur and that forces other guys to line up out of position, and that could go on longer than initially expected, and eventually it is the new normal. That was kind of the case with Broderick Jones playing right tackle during the 2024 season after Fautanu went down. 

Other players that have played out of position have been Fautanu and McCormick. Fautanu played left tackle at Washington, while McCormick played left guard at North Dakota State. He started 57 consecutive games at left guard while winning two National Championships, but was forced to play right guard for the Steelers over the last two seasons. Sometimes that is warranted, especially with a seasoned veteran like Isaac Seumalo playing left guard. However, with Seumalo gone, it is likely the right move to switch McCormick back to his natural position.

Steelers Will Now Have Their Best Offensive Lineman Protecting Aaron Rodgers' Blindside

One of the most important positions in football is left tackle, and it is considered a premium spot. It is one of the highest-paid positions on the roster, and Fautanu moving there means that Pittsburgh is putting one of its best offensive linemen, if not the best, on Aaron Rodgers' blindside. Hopefully this will allow the quarterback to hang onto the ball for a little bit longer, which will open up the offense.

It is important to note that none of these changes are set in stone, and a lot can change between OTAs and the start of the regular season.

What do you think about the changes McCarthy's staff has made? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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