The Terrible Towels can officially start waving again as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2026 schedule has arrived.
Pittsburgh’s road ahead is finally set, giving fans their first glimpse at the journey to come. Now, the countdown to football season in the Steel City officially begins.
Steelers’ Full 2026 Schedule
Week 1: Sept. 13 vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week 2: Sept. 20 @ New England Patriots
Week 3: Sept. 27 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 4: Oct. 1 @ Cleveland Browns (Thursday)
Week 5: Oct. 11 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week 6: Oct. 18 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 7: Oct. 25 vs. New Orleans Saints (in Paris)
Week 8: Nov. 1 vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: Nov. 15 @ Cincinnati Bengals
Week 11: Nov. 22 @ Philadelphia Eagles
Week 12: Nov. 27 vs. Denver Broncos (Friday)
Week 13: Dec. 6 vs. Houston Texans
Week 14: Dec. 14 @ Jacksonville Jaguars (Monday)
Week 15: Dec. 20 vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 16: TBD vs. Carolina Panthers
Week 17: Jan. 3 @ Tennessee Titans
Week 18: TBD @ Baltimore Ravens
Steelers 2026 Season Prediction
Despite the transition from Mike Tomlin to Mike McCarthy, our Ralph Vacchiano expects a familiar finish in Pittsburgh. He’s predicting the Steelers to go 9-8.
“So much of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season is riding on the old shoulders of Aaron Rodgers — whether he plays again, or whether he can defy his age for one more season. Whoever their quarterback is will immediately have a tougher challenge if Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow can stay healthy, making the AFC North games much more of a minefield,” Vacchiano wrote.
Steelers’ 2026 Projected Win Total
The Steelers’ projected win total for the 2026 season currently sits at 7.5 wins at FanDuel Sportsbook. Their odds to win the Super Bowl sit at +7500, making them a longshot to win it all. Their odds to make the playoffs are +175.
Steelers’ Notable Offseason Moves
The Steelers’ offseason was highlighted by the hiring of Mike McCarthy and the ongoing question surrounding whether Aaron Rodgers will return to the team this season. Pittsburgh also made upgrades on offense, signing running back Rico Dowdle and acquiring wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts.
The defense saw improvements as well with the additions of defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day and former Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker. During the NFL Draft, the Steelers continued to bolster the offensive line by selecting Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor and Iowa’s Gennings Dunker.
How We’ve Assessed The Steelers’ offseason
Following the draft, our Ralph Vacchiano placed the Steelers at No. 24 in his power rankings.
“This draft would’ve looked better if the Eagles hadn’t stolen Makai Lemon from them in the first round,” Vacchiano wrote.
Pittsburgh’s draft haul was one of this year’s best, earned a A- grade from our draft analyst, Rob Rang.
“Whether [Drew] Allar lives up to his upside or not, this was the kind of draft Steelers fans deserved and it kicks off the Mike McCarthy era in fine form,” Rang wrote.
