If you're reading this as a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, well, you're accustomed to the black and gold starting the season on the road. In 2023, the Steelers actually get back-to-back home games to open up the season against the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns. It'll be the first time they have gotten a season opener at home since 2014 when they beat the Browns. That's right, eight consecutive season openers on the road up until this year.
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The last time the Steelers had a season opener at home was in 2014, Troy Polamalu's final NFL season.
For context on how long ago that was, it was Troy Polamalu's final NFL season before retiring. It was Heath Miller's second-to-last season in his storied career. Cam Heyward was in just his fourth NFL campaign, which is the year that he broke out with 7.5 sacks. You get the gist, it's been a long time since the Steelers have hosted a season opener. In 2024 though, it seems like things will revert to the norm.
The crosstown baseball team, Pittsburgh Pirates, released their 2024 schedule on Thursday. As a Steelers fan, you always look to where the Pirates are playing on the second weekend of September. That is usually when the NFL season kicks off, and it's a telling sign as to whether the Steelers will be at home or not. Well, the Pirates have a 10-game home stand from September 5th-15th in 2024.
The NFL season will likely start on the 8th, when the Pirates will face the Washington Nationals. Even if the Steelers got a primetime game, a Pirates home game will still fall on the same day. Given that PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium are just right across the street from one another, it makes it nearly impossible to have both teams at home on the same day.
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Head Coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers will open up the season at Acrisure Stadium in 2023, their first season opener at home since 2014.
You can put the puzzle pieces together from there. The Steelers will almost surely kick off the 2024 season on the road. That would mark nine of the past 10 seasons starting the season on the road. The Pirates' home stand goes through the 15th, which would presumably be Week 2 of the NFL season. With that, it's possible the Steelers have back-to-back road games to begin the 2024 campaign.
Steelers road opener streak ends in 2023, but likely starts again in 2024
Again, this is nothing new for Pittsburgh sports fans. Aside from the usual AFC North opponents that they play on the home and road each season, these are the official road games for the Steelers in 2024 (in no order yet):
- Washington Commanders
- Denver Broncos
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Philadelphia Eagles
In addition to those four possible Week 1 matchups, the Steelers will also be on the road for an AFC South and NFC South opponent. If you don't know how that works, the Steelers will play the team that finishes in the same place as them within their division. That's nine possible Week 1 matchups, assuming the opener is on the road, for the 2024 season.
What are your thoughts on likely another road opener for the Steelers? Do you think the league intentionally does this? Of the listed opponents, who would you like to see the Steelers open the 2024 season against? Will you be at the team's season opener at Acrisure Stadium in a few months? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!
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