Although a good portion of it is already leaked, the Steelers’ 2026 schedule won’t be released until Thursday evening. However, their home and road opponents for the 2026 season have been known for quite some time. And former NFL defensive end Chris Long pointed how favorable their schedule is in one aspect.
“The Steelers only leave their time zone once, other than going to Paris, the entire season,” Long said Thursday on his Green Light Podcast. “So that’s huge.”
Pittsburgh’s road opponents include its three division rivals, as well as Jacksonville, New England, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Tennessee. Of those, the only two teams that sit outside of the eastern time zone are Tennessee and New Orleans.
For what it’s worth, the Steelers do have one very long journey on their 2026 slate. For the second-straight year, they’ll head to Europe for an international game. Last year it was Dublin, and this year it will be the NFL’s first-ever game in Paris where the Steelers will play New Orleans in Week 7. That could prove tough, as the Steelers reportedly won’t get a bye week upon their return, like they did last year. Instead, they’re reportedly going to host Cleveland in Week 8.
Playing in different time zones wasn’t a huge factor for the Steelers last year. They won their international game against Minnesota in Week 4. Pittsburgh then went out west to play the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10 and lost handily. The Steelers’ third and final game out of the eastern time zone came in Chicago two weeks later where they lost by three points.
While traveling to Paris is a big adjustment, it doesn’t exactly put the Steelers at a disadvantage. The Saints are going to have to make that same trip. Although there could be some differences in when the teams plan on getting there. Last year under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers left for Ireland on the Thursday of that game week. It will be interesting to see whether they follow a similar schedule under Mike McCarthy, who’s never coached an international game before.
The NFL season is a long one. And there are many things that might affect the Steelers schedule down the road. But at the outset, Chris Long thinks their lack of travel, aside from the Paris game, is an advantage.
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