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The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ full 2026 NFL schedule has been released, and now anticipation for the season is in full swing.

The Steelers are set to become one of the NFL’s must-see teams in 2026, as they will have four primetime games. They will also be part of the league’s introduction to Paris, France, with a Week 7 matchup against the New Orleans Saints, in addition to a Black Friday showdown with the Denver Broncos.

All things considered, the Steelers still have the 14th-easiest schedule in the NFL in 2026 based on their opponents’ winning percentage from last season, which was .495. Even so, that might not be easy enough for new head coach Mike McCarthy, as ESPN’s Mike Clay projects Pittsburgh to win 8.5 games.

In fact, picking up wins early in the season may be a challenge for McCarthy.

ESPN Insider Predicts Slow Start For Mike McCarthy

McCarthy, who grew up in Pittsburgh, would love to get his new team off to the right start. But ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, who covers the Steelers, does not believe that will happen, especially at home inside Acrisure Stadium.

“The Steelers won’t win a home game until October,” Pryor wrote. “New Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski has plenty of experience against the Steelers from his time in Cleveland, and the Bengals offense will continue to be a handful — especially with a healthy Joe Burrow. It could be a bit of a wait before new coach Mike McCarthy wins in his hometown.”

Pryor did not elaborate on whether she believes the Steelers could offset those losses with road wins against the New England Patriots in Week 2 or the Cleveland Browns in Week 4 on Thursday Night Football.

Their next home game would come in Week 5 on Oct. 11 against the Indianapolis Colts. All things considered, that would be a long time for Pittsburgh fans to wait for a win at Acrisure Stadium.

Having Kevin Stefanski coaching the Falcons in 2026 is definitely a wild card, especially in the season opener. The former Cleveland Browns head coach is 5-7 all-time against Pittsburgh.

As for the Bengals, Burrow, owns a 4-3 career record against the Steelers. The AFC North should once again be one of the most competitive divisions in football, with almost anything possible.

Steelers Face Challenging Opening Stretch In 2026

Here is the Steelers’ full 2026 regular-season schedule:

Week 1: vs. Atlanta Falcons (Sept. 13, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Week 2: at New England Patriots (Sept. 20, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Week 3: vs. Cincinnati Bengals (Sept. 27, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Week 4: at Cleveland Browns, Thursday Night Football (Oct. 1, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Week 5: vs. Indianapolis Colts (Oct. 11, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Week 6: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Oct. 18, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Week 7: at New Orleans Saints, Paris, France (Oct. 25, 9:30 a.m. ET)
Week 8: vs. Cleveland Browns (Nov. 1, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Week 9: Bye week
Week 10: at Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday Night Football (Nov. 15, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Week 11: at Philadelphia Eagles (Nov. 22, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Week 12: vs. Denver Broncos, Black Friday (Nov. 27, 3:00 p.m. ET)
Week 13: vs. Houston Texans, Sunday Night Football (Dec. 6, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Week 14: at Jacksonville Jaguars, Monday Night Football (Dec. 14, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Week 15: vs. Baltimore Ravens (Dec. 20, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Week 16: vs. Carolina Panthers (TBD)
Week 17: at Tennessee Titans (Jan. 3, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Week 18: at Baltimore Ravens (TBD)

Shane Shoemaker Shane Shoemaker is a sports journalist covering college football and the NFL for Heavy.com. His work has also appeared in The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, USA TODAY, and ClutchPoints, along with high school sports coverage for the Marion Tribune. More about Shane Shoemaker