The Steelers’ 2026 schedule opens with a soft landing, and that matters when you’re trying to map out a season. Pittsburgh gets the Atlanta Falcons at home in Week 1, and that’s where the optimism starts in this prediction run: a 24-10 Steelers win and a 1-0 start.
Atlanta’s quarterback situation is described as a mess, with Tua Tagovailoa “looked like a baby chasing bubbles in the preseason,” and Michael Penix’s knees “being held together by scotch tape and hope.” Add in the fact that the Falcons have never won in Pittsburgh, and this one is penciled in as an easy opener.
The first real stumble comes quickly. In Week 2 at New England, the Steelers are projected to fall 23-17. Pittsburgh did escape Foxborough in 2025 despite forcing five turnovers, but this time the Patriots are expected to have the edge after a mini-bye following their Wednesday, September 9 opener.
From there, the Steelers are forecast to settle in. A high-scoring Week 3 matchup with Cincinnati goes Pittsburgh’s way, 31-28, before the team takes care of business at Cleveland on Thursday night in Week 4, 23-6. The Browns are labeled a bad team, and the prediction is that the Steelers’ Thursday night problems finally end under Mike McCarthy.
Week 5 brings another home win, 27-19 over Indianapolis. The Colts are coming off a 2025 loss to Pittsburgh that helped send their season spiraling, and the outlook here is that their defense is weaker and their offense leans too heavily on Jonathan Taylor without a true No. 1 receiver.
Pittsburgh’s second loss arrives in Week 6 at Tampa Bay, where the Buccaneers are given credit for a draft that impressed. Rueben Bain is pegged as an instant impact player, and Ted Hurts could become the No. 2 receiver. That one is tight, but the Steelers are picked to drop it 24-23.
The bounce-back starts in Week 7, when the Steelers face the Saints in Paris. Even though the Saints were picked to win the NFC South, Pittsburgh is expected to handle a younger team with a low ceiling, winning 20-16.
Week 8 follows with a comfortable 30-12 victory over Cleveland at home. The Steelers haven’t lost a regular-season home game to the Browns since 2003, and that streak is forecast to continue, no matter whether Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel is under center.
By the bye in Week 9, Pittsburgh is projected to sit at 6-2, which is framed as a record just about anyone would take.
The second half brings a tougher stretch. Cincinnati gets revenge in Week 10, winning 27-20 on Sunday night to split the season series. Then comes a familiar problem in Philadelphia, where the Steelers are predicted to lose again, 26-16, in Week 11.
Pittsburgh stops a three-game slide in Week 12 with a 17-13 win over Denver on Black Friday. The Broncos are said to have a strong defense, but the Steelers are expected to keep their offense in check.
The following week, though, is another loss: Houston wins 20-13 on Sunday night in Week 13, in what is described as Mike Tomlin’s return to Pittsburgh. The comparison is made to the Steelers’ wild card loss to Houston at the end of the 2025 season.
The Steelers get back on track in Week 14 at Jacksonville, winning 27-23 on Monday night. After that, Week 15 delivers a 23-17 home win over Baltimore. Pittsburgh has won five of the last six home games against the Ravens, and the roster is described as simply better.
Week 16 looks like the easiest game on the schedule, with Pittsburgh rolling past Carolina 34-10. There’s even a note that there is a greater than zero chance Kenny Pickett starts that game. The Panthers are expected to be awful, and the Steelers are picked to cruise.
The last two weeks bring more tension. Tennessee is forecast to upset Pittsburgh 27-21 in Week 17, with Cam Ward and Carnell Tate posting big days and keeping the Titans’ playoff hopes alive. Then, in Week 18, the Steelers go back to Baltimore and spoil the Ravens’ chance at a win-and-in scenario, winning 28-23 to complete the sweep.
Put it all together, and the final prediction leaves Pittsburgh at 11-6.
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Steelers 53-Man Roster Already Has A Few Unstable Spots
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Kevin Jobity Jr., Ryan McCollum, Eli Heidenreich and Gabriel Rubio are the four names drawing the most attention as the season approaches, each for a different reason tied to performance, versatility or the shifting needs of the roster. None of that means a change is imminent, but it does mean the Steelers already have a few decisions hanging over them as the opener gets closer. [Read more 🡒]