Things will look different in the Steelers' setup in 2026.
After 19 seasons in charge of Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin stepped down as coach following the end of the 2025 season. He'll be replaced in the coaching headset by Mike McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native that has found success across his coaching career.
There are a fair few question marks lingering over the Steelers ahead of the 2026 season. They don't have a starting quarterback yet — Aaron Rodgers hasn't yet put pen to paper on a contract extension, although he is expected to re-sign for the franchise later in the offseason.
Pittsburgh was the best of a bad bunch in 2025, surging to the top of a scornful collection of sides to claim the AFC North crown. It's unclear whether a Rodgers-led side can accomplish much more than the Steelers did in 2025. McCarthy and Co. will be hoping otherwise, however.
Here is a complete breakdown of the Steelers' 2026 schedule, including dates, start times and analysis for all 17 games.
Pittsburgh Steelers schedule 2026
Home opponents: Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Texans, Colts, Broncos, Falcons, Panthers
Away opponents: Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Jaguars, Titans, Patriots, Saints, Buccaneers, Eagles
Every NFL team's 2026 opponents are predetermined. Pittsburgh's full 2026 NFL schedule with dates, times and TV networks will be updated below when the NFL schedule is announced at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 14.
Week Date Opponent Kickoff time (ET) TV channel
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Steelers strength of schedule
The Steelers finished the 2025 season with a fairly middle-of-the-road strength of schedule. Their opponents finished the 2025 season with a combined win percentage of 50.3%, the 16th-worst mark in the NFL. They faced supernovas, including the Seahawks and Patriots. They faced minnows, too, like the Jets and Dolphins.
Things look eerily similar for Pittsburgh in 2026. Mike McCarthy's bunch's opponents carried a combined win rate of 49.5% in 2025, the 19th-highest mark in football.
Toughest tests: Pittsburgh will take on the Broncos, Patriots and Jaguars during the regular season, the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the AFC last year. It will also clash with the Eagles and Texans, sides slated to enter the 2026 season with Super Bowl aspirations. Things could get hairy for Pittsburgh if it was to lose all or close to all of its matchups against Super Bowl-caliber competition.
Biggest breaks: The Browns and Titans look likely to spend another campaign languishing near the bottom of the league standings. The Colts could also struggle, especially if Daniel Jones doesn't return to form after recovering from a torn Achilles last season.
Steelers record prediction
Over/under win total: 8.5
Bottom line: It's hard to tell just how good Pittsburgh will be in 2026. Assuming Rodgers returns to the side, the Steelers will have a veteran presence under center. That should give Pittsburgh a decent floor for success. However, Rodgers' skill sets are dwindling by the week. His willingness to let the ball fly down the field has become noticeable. While Pittsburgh added talent to its receiving corps, it's unclear how capable the 42-year-old is of feeding his targets consistently.
The Steelers' defense should remain strong. Still, the offensive firepower of divisional foes like the Ravens and Bengals should give them the edge over Pittsburgh. A lackluster schedule could be the Steelers' saving grace. Still, Baltimore and Cincinnati are also slated to face paltry sides. Unless injuries rear their ugly heads once more in Charm City and Cincy, it's hard to see how Pittsburgh will rise to the top of the divisional pack in 2026.
Record prediction: 7-10