The Pittsburgh Steelers have experienced plenty of change throughout the 2026 offseason. After Mike Tomlin stepped down as the team's head coach, Mike McCarthy was brought in to try and right the ship. While the organization hasn't had a losing season since 2003, playoff victories have been hard to come by of late. The franchise hasn't had a postseason win since the 2017 campaign began. Now, the new regime is preparing intensely for Week 1 of the meaningful football contests. The Atlanta Falcons will travel to the Steel City as head coach Kevin Stefanski will return to play an opponent he is rather familiar with.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy stands on the field and looks on as he watches the team workout during a 2026 training camp practice taking place at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
It is known that Aaron Rodgers will be under center for his age-42 season — he will turn 43 in December — and is hoping to have one last magical run in him. Despite the fact that he isn't exactly what he once was on the field, he has the experience that the Steelers need at the position. For the Falcons, however, there have been serious questions about who will be under center.
Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from a torn ACL while Tua Tagovailoa was brought in to provide a legitimate backup plan if Penix wasn't ready to go. While both signal-callers have ramped up as August has gone on, Atlanta has reportedly made a decision about the starter; at least, for Week 1 against the Steelers. Ian Rapoport broke the news.
At last: The #Falcons are naming QB Tua Tagovailoa as their starting QB, the final team to identify its starter.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 7, 2026
After an up-and-down camp, Tagovailoa gets the ball to begin the season, while Michael Penix Jr continues to work his way back. pic.twitter.com/SfXw6CeQCX
The last time Tagovailoa was a starter, it was in Pittsburgh when he was with the Miami Dolphins. Right after that December Monday Night Football matchup, the decision was made to bench him. Now, he will have a chance at getting revenge at Acrisure Stadium. This is certainly a positive for Pittsburgh, as the coaching staff knows who the Falcons will be starting and have plenty of time to prepare.
There is a strong chance that this situation changes for the Falcons throughout the season, as Penix continues to work his way back after another knee injury. However, Pittsburgh won't care about that very much; Week 1 is what matters. It's fair to note that TJ Watt will get the rare opportunity of rushing from the quarterback's blindside. This was always expected to be the case with Atlanta's top two passers both being lefties.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy stands in front of the media to answer questions as the team goes through 2026 mandatory minicamp workouts in Pittsburgh, PA.
Stefanki spoke a little bit about Tagovailoa and what fans can expect from the newly-named starter. The head coach believes that the former first-rounder has a chip on his shoulder.
"You want to prove people wrong," Stefanski said according to the team's official website. "You have a chip on your shoulder. I think where I'm coming into this, where Tua's coming into this is, listen, this is not exactly how you thought it would go, but guess what, that's the reality, and how are we gonna respond? I think that's what he's made of. You look at his career, you look back at his college career, he's responded."
Steelers Need To Start The 2026 Season Off On The Right Foot
Pittsburgh has a rather difficult lineup toward the end of the year. After winning the AFC North in 2025, a first-place setup isn't exactly ideal for the franchise. The early part of the schedule is much easier than the end, so Week 1 versus the Falcons is a critical matchup for the Steelers. Now, Tagovailoa will be the one standing in the way of a 1-0 start in the Steel City.
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