The Pittsburgh Steelers’ recent hiring frenzy feels less like a league-wide talent grab and more like a Green Bay Packers reunion tour. Whether that’s comforting or concerning depends on where you stand as a fan. One thing is undeniable, though: Pittsburgh is operating with intention.
The Steelers are working from as close to the ground up as possible. They have no definitive quarterback, no long-term answer at the most important position in sports, and they are simultaneously accommodating a head coach learning how to navigate a new building.
Mike McCarthy may be a Super Bowl–winning coach, but Acrisure is not Lambeau, and Pittsburgh is not Green Bay.
Still, aggressiveness from Omar Khan and Art Rooney II has kept the Steelers out of full-blown rebuilding conversations. Leadership continues to push the idea of “competing,” and the evidence is in the pace and confidence of their decisions.
That urgency has resulted in a handful of familiar hirings in a very short amount of time. Since bringing McCarthy on board, Pittsburgh has hired multiple new staff members. A handful of them have direct ties to their new head coach. Linebackers coach Scott McCurley, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, and defensive backs coach Jason Simmons are all new to the organization but well-versed in McCarthy’s culture and expectations.
Quarterbacks coach Tom Arth was retained, offering at least one point of continuity on an otherwise reshaped staff.
On the surface, it’s heartwarming.
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Trust and chemistry matter in the NFL. Filling the building with coaches McCarthy believes in can accelerate buy-in and eliminate the growing pains that often plague new regimes. But there’s also an undeniable trend forming, one that has fans asking an uncomfortable but fair question: Is McCarthy assembling an all-star staff, or simply surrounding himself with familiar faces?
“Is Pittsburgh interested in reunions or championships?” is no longer just talk radio fodder. It’s a legitimate concern.
The saving grace is that most of this new cavalry arrives with legitimate credentials. Patrick Graham, in particular, stands out. His résumé includes tutelage under defensive masterminds like Bill Belichick and Steve Spagnuolo, along with time spent under Brian Flores, once a serious head coaching candidate in Pittsburgh. Graham isn’t just a familiar hire — he’s a respected football mind who has coordinated defenses at multiple stops.
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In truth, this reunion theme didn’t start with Graham. The hiring of offensive line coach James Campen was another nod to the past. Even deeper, McCarthy and Omar Khan share history from their time together in New Orleans during the 2000 season, when McCarthy served as offensive coordinator, and Khan worked in football operations. These relationships run deep, and Pittsburgh is clearly leaning into them.
That reach for familiarity, however, is risky. Rebuilds fueled by comfort don’t always age well. Fans yearned for a fresh, clean slate — a true break from the past. Instead, this approach can feel like a cut corner, even if the intent is stability.
Ultimately, the proof will be in the pudding. McCarthy, Khan, and Rooney II have written themselves a massive bill in year one of their partnership. These were safe decisions, no doubt. The hope is that “safe” becomes the foundation for something far more aggressive — and far more successful — when it finally matters on Sundays.