Overview
- Mike McCarthy will make his regular-season coaching debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers and will name captains on a weekly basis instead of keeping season-long captains.
- Pittsburgh opens at home on Sept. 13 against the Atlanta Falcons, who named Tua Tagovailoa their Week 1 starter, giving the Steelers a specific opponent to game-plan for.
- Joey Porter Jr.’s contract remains unresolved and his game availability could come down to gameday, creating a short-term risk to the Steelers’ secondary.
- Offseason additions such as Michael Pittman Jr., Germie Bernard, and Rico Dowdle have raised expectations for the offense, with some outlets projecting an 11-win ceiling while others see 9-8 as a baseline.
- Practical concerns include uncertainty on the right side of the offensive line and limited live reps for top players coming into Week 1, which could affect early-season performance.