Mike McCarthy is back on the sideline, and his first game as Steelers head coach comes with no soft landing. Pittsburgh opens the 2026 season on Sept. 13 against the Falcons at Acrisure Stadium, and McCarthy says the training wheels are already off.
"We're all excited about our first opportunity to compete," McCarthy said via the Steelers’ website. "You're guaranteed 17 games. Obviously, it's our home opener, but really, I think the honeymoon's kind of over now."
That line fits the moment. McCarthy is stepping into one of the NFL’s most tradition-heavy jobs after reportedly signing a long-term deal to replace Mike Tomlin, who had held the post in Pittsburgh for more than 19 years and is still under contract with the team. For a franchise that has had only three head coaches since the 1969 season, this is a major change in the room.
McCarthy, though, is hardly new to the league’s grind. This will be his 19th NFL season as a coach.
He spent 13 years with the Packers, won a Super Bowl with current Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in 2010, then coached the Cowboys for five seasons. After sitting out the 2025 season, the 62-year-old is back after coaching only five losing seasons in his career.
Now he returns with Rodgers again, this time in Pittsburgh, along with a roster that includes several high-profile receivers, running backs, and young backup quarterbacks. McCarthy has already spent time getting to know that group as he works to build trust with Steelers fans and settle into his new job.
Rodgers is in what McCarthy described as his final NFL season, and the Steelers brought four quarterbacks into the season, including two young stars and a veteran behind him. McCarthy sounds energized by the chance to be part of that run.
The coach also made clear that the responsibility of the Pittsburgh job hits him every day. As a Pittsburgh native, he says the weight of the franchise is personal.
"I'm at the point in my life at this age, I reflect more than I did 10, 15 years ago, so that's all part of it," McCarthy said. "Definitely, I've had time to do that. But the most important part of it is the fact that you're the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, which I have a tremendous amount of pride in - not only being from here, but what the Pittsburgh Steelers stand for and the responsibility that myself and everybody has to this organization, and really for the players and coaches before us.
"So trust me, that lays on me every single day. It's important. It makes me jump out of bed."
The preseason offered little more than a tune-up, with Pittsburgh going 1-2, but the real measuring stick begins now. The Steelers’ 2026 schedule starts with Atlanta, then moves to the Patriots, Bengals, Browns, Colts, Buccaneers, Saints in Paris, Browns again, and a Week 9 bye. From there, the slate includes road trips to Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, and Tennessee, plus home games against the Broncos, Texans, Ravens, Panthers, and Saints in that Paris matchup.
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Atlanta has not offered an official update, and for Pittsburgh the bigger question is whether the quarterbacks status changes by kickoff. The Falcons have already named Tagovailoa their starter for the opener, with Cooper Rush next in line if needed, but until there is more clarity, the Steelers will be preparing for a game plan that could hinge on how that back issue responds. [Read more 🡒]