Steelers Receive Great News From Week 1 Opponent Atlanta Falcons

The Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Cleveland Browns all experienced head-coaching changes during the 2026 offseason. The AFC North is going to look a lot different moving forward, but there are many familiar faces on the schedule for the Black and Gold despite the mix-ups. Not only will the team have to play Todd Monken twice a year as he will lead the Browns, but former Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski is now running the show for the Atlanta Falcons. It just so happens that the Steelers will play host to Stefanski and Co. in Week 1 of the regular season.

Pittsburgh traveled down to play the Falcons in Week 1 of the 2024 season. The 18-10 win for the Steelers was a solid one, but both organizations have changed coaching staffs since then. That still doesn't change the fact that there is some familiarity with Stefanski. One of the more intriguing storylines for him during his first year in Atlanta will be the quarterback position.

Michael Penix Jr. was surprisingly taken in the top 10 by the Falcons in the 2024 NFL Draft, but it hasn't worked out well for him since. He is recovering from a torn ACL, which has prevented him from really earning his spot as the top guy. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported on Monday that the young passer is still trying to get fully cleared.

"Now you got Atlanta and this one's unique because Michael Penix hasn't really been able to make this a battle yet," Fowler said. "He's been limited to seven-on-seven work in the spring. He's hoping to graduate to 11-man work and be cleared for contact at some point in training camp."

On the other hand, Tua Tagovailoa is looking for a career resurgence after landing in Atlanta. According to Fowler, he is much further ahead than Penix, and it looks like he will be under center against the Steelers.

"In the meantime, I'm told from a source there in Atlanta that Tua Tagovailoa has been really accurate," Fowler reported. "That stood out. That's also something that Head Coach Kevin Stefanski is on record of saying is the most important thing for a quarterback, so that gives Tua, certainly, a leg up leading into all of this and hopefully a stopgap option for Atlanta."

This is significant in a lot of ways. When Pittsburgh took on the Miami Dolphins in Week 15, Tagovailoa did not perform well and threw an interception. He would later be benched for the rest of the year, and his time in Florida came to an end after the season ended. The Steelers' defense frustrated the quarterback in December, and can certainly do so again in September of 2026.

Starting off any season with a win is critically important, but it should be even more emphasized when there is a new coaching staff in town. That is the case for both the Steelers and Falcons, as both franchises are hoping for better end results than what they experienced in 2025. With Pittsburgh's dominant performance over Tagovailoa still relatively fresh, the hope is that Mike McCarthy's group will be able to take care of business.

The last time a game was held at Acrisure Stadium, the Houston Texans were running circles around the Steelers in a Wild Card matchup. The Week 1 atmosphere should be extremely exciting in the Steel City, which is why the Falcons' projected starting quarterback is going to have to be ready to answer the call, or he could be in for another long matchup.

Steelers Must Have A Strong Start To 2026 Season

Pittsburgh is set to face off against a first-place schedule after winning the AFC North in 2025. That means that contests against weaker opponents have to be taken care of. While the Falcons are under new leadership that has some pedigree, coming away with a victory at home in Week 1 is more than necessary. The McCarthy era has a chance to start off with a bang against Tagovailoa and Atlanta.

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