PITTSBURGH -- The Steelers' 2026 schedule was released along with the rest of the NFL slate Thursday.
For the first time since 2023, Pittsburgh will open the season at home, kicking off with a 1 p.m. ET start against the Atlanta Falcons. The Steelers will savor their afternoon games to start the season because the back half of the year includes a brutal stretch of three primetime games and a Black Friday matchup in five weeks.
The Steelers are also making history abroad for a second year in a row. A year after playing in the first regular-season game in Ireland, the Steelers will be the road team for a meeting with the New Orleans Saints in Paris for the first NFL regular-season game in France.
Here's what's in store for the Steelers:
Steelers 2026 regular-season schedule
Week 1: Sept. 13 vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week 2: Sept. 20 at New England Patriots
Week 3: Sept. 27 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 4: Oct. 1 at Cleveland Browns (TNF)
Week 5: Oct. 11 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week 6: Oct. 18 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 7: Oct. 25 at New Orleans Saints (Paris)
Week 8: Nov. 1 vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 9: Bye week
Week 10: Nov. 15 at Cincinnati Bengals (SNF)
Week 11: Nov. 22 at Philadelphia Eagles
Week 12: Friday, Nov. 27 vs. Denver Broncos
Week 13: Dec. 6 vs. Houston Texans (SNF)
Week 14: Dec. 14 at Jacksonville Jaguars (MNF)
Week 15: Dec. 20 vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 16: vs. Carolina Panthers*
Week 17: Jan. 3 at Tennessee Titans
Week 18: at Baltimore Ravens*
*Dates for Weeks 16 and 18 are to be determined
Strength of schedule: The Steelers have the 14th-easiest schedule in the league (opponents had a .495 winning percentage in 2025).
DraftKings over/under win total: 8.5
ESPN analyst Mike Clay's projected win total: 8.5
Biggest takeaway
The NFL is banking on quarterback Aaron Rodgers' return -- and his health. The Steelers are always primetime catnip, but the stretch of four standalone games in five weeks -- in addition to the league's first game in Paris -- signals the NFL believes the Steelers will be must-watch television. That would certainly be the case if the veteran signal-caller returns for another season. But it is a little bit of a gamble because the bulk of those games don't come until after the Steelers' Week 9 bye. Outside of the broken wrist, Rodgers stayed healthy last season, but it's something to keep an eye on as he turns 43 in December.
Circle this date
Week 13, Dec. 6 vs. Houston. Not only is that game in the middle of the Steelers' stretch of primetime games, but as a Sunday night kickoff, it will mark former coach Mike Tomlin's return to Acrisure Stadium as part of NBC's "Sunday Night Football" pregame show. It's fitting, then, that his return will be for a rematch of the last game he coached when the Steelers fell to the Texans in the wild-card round.
Bold prediction
The Steelers won't win a home game until October. New Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski has plenty of experience against the Steelers from his time in Cleveland, and the Bengals offense will continue to be a handful -- especially with a healthy Joe Burrow. It could be a bit of a wait before new coach Mike McCarthy wins in his hometown.
Ahead of their trip to Paris, what have the Steelers learned about international travel and its impact on the team?
Unlike a year ago, the Steelers aren't slated to have a bye week after their international game. This time, they'll be in Tampa Bay a week before the Paris game, and they'll travel back from Europe to face Cleveland the next week. Under Tomlin, the Steelers limited their time abroad around the game in Dublin. There are questions to be asked, including: Will they take a similar approach this time, and will the wear and tear of playing and traveling internationally without a break catch up to them?
