From Rodgers and Ramsey to Watt and Warren, the Pittsburgh Steelers are prepared to start yet another season of tough, gritty football. With many new and exciting faces, the Steelers face the Jets at MetLife Stadium for Week 1.
Aaron Rodgers, facing off against his former team, will be protected by a young and talented front five, which has Steelers fans more optimistic than they have been in years. 2024 first-round pick Troy Fautanu will be making his long-awaited regular-season debut after missing all his rookie year with a leg injury. He performed well in the Steelers’ preseason games, showing his skill particularly in the passing game. While the starting core is stacked with talent, if the same number of injuries that sidelined Pittsburgh linemen last year occur again, the Steelers might become buyers at the trade deadline. The offensive line is a concern for Pittsburgh, as it is; if the linemen can’t stay healthy, that could be a season changer.
Another concern that fans had throughout the offseason was the lack of wide receiver depth. To the NFL world, after DK Metcalf, the depth chart for the Steelers is lackluster. There is no clear wide receiver two as fans can expect that role to be evenly distributed by Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, and the tight ends. Austin showed promise at times last year as a slot receiver, and former Michigan Wolverine Roman Wilson, who missed all last season with injury, looks to be a bright spot for the offense. The tight end group is one part of the offense that gives fans some optimism. Pat Freiermuth looks to add another consistent and reliable season, and new acquisition Jonnu Smith looks to split reps with Darnell Washington.
The big trade that made fans excited for the 2025-26 season was DK Metcalf. Metcalf was a force in his years in Seattle and looks to play an even bigger role in Pittsburgh. Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith was also the OC for the Tennessee Titans in 2020 when AJ Brown, Metcalf’s college teammate, had a breakout year. Metcalf looks to play a very similar role in Smith’s offense. In 2020, Brown finished with seventy-five receptions and just over a thousand yards. Fans can expect similar results from Metcalf, barring any injury.
The running back core lost power back Najee Harris to LA in the offseason, but they also picked up Kenneth Gainwell in free agency and Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson in April’s draft. After resigning Jaylen Warren, who will likely take most of the snaps at running back, Pittsburgh will split reps between Gainwell and Johnson. Gainwell has been versatile throughout his career in the catch-and-run game and will probably beat out Johnson for that second back on the depth chart.
Now moving to the defensive side of the ball, which has defined Steelers football for years. TJ Watt looks to add to his already Hall of Fame-worthy resume. Alex Highsmith returns across from Watt, along with pro-bowler Patrick Queen and a young Payton Wilson in the middle. Wilson had a stellar rookie year and looks to continue to be a force. Joey Porter and veterans Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay hold down the corner back positions while the younger defensive line, led by veteran Cameron Heyward, control the trenches. The defense has far fewer holes than the offense and will likely be the reason the Steelers fight to compete in the AFC.
The Steelers open this new season on the road against the New York Jets. This Sunday afternoon game features former Pittsburgh quarterback Justin Fields, who started 6 games for the Steelers last year. The Steelers’ starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, also faces his former team, where he played for two seasons. Pittsburgh enters the game as the favorite and have gone 4-1 in week one games since the 2020 season. The Jets have gone just 1-4 in the same timeframe.
New Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, who was the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions for the past three seasons, is expected to bring the same defensive intensity to New York. Rodgers was among the worst quarterbacks against the blitz last season, and the Steelers have provided him with weapons that can allow him to get the ball out quickly. On the other side, the Jets acquired Justin Fields for the sole purpose of throwing the ball downfield. The Steelers can expect a pass-heavy game from New York on Sunday and will likely focus on shutting down Breece Hall and the run game.
The Steelers and Jets are both defensive-minded teams and are familiar with their opponents’ quarterbacks. The Steelers have a deep running back group that can change the outcome of the game. It will be a dink-and-dunk, low-scoring game, with the Steelers coming out victorious 20-10.