In a 17-game season, there are bound to be some interesting matchups. The Pittsburgh Steelers are headed into a 2026 campaign full of intrigue. The results of this season, which is quarterback Aaron Rodgers ' last in Pittsburgh , will determine the team's strategy going into the critical 2027 draft and for years to come.
That said, here are the five most interesting matchups for the Steelers this season, based on existing storylines. Full schedule available here .
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 28, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
This game is notable for a couple of reasons. First off, it is the season opener, and fans will see the result of months of off-season work for the first time. Secondly, Atlanta has a new head coach in Kevin Stefanski , who knows the AFC North well.
Stefanski was head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2020-25, leading the team to a playoff win against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Stefanski performed far better against the Steelers than many of his Browns predecessors, beating Pittsburgh five times in the regular season.
Stefanski knows much of the current Steelers roster well. He surely knows ways to exploit some of the team's weaknesses.
It will be intriguing to see how the 2026 Steelers, in year one under Mike McCarthy , will match up against Stefanski's Dirty Birds. It is hard to predict how the Falcons will look with Stefanski. He has much better offensive weapons in Atlanta than he did in Cleveland: wide receiver Drake London , tight end Kyle Pitts , and star running back Bijan Robinson . However, he has a spotty quarterback situation to work with, as the Week 1 starter will either be third-year pro Michael Penix Jr. or recent signee Tua Tagovailoa .
That said, Stefanski has a demonstrated ability to win with subpar quarterbacks. In his second Coach of the Year winning-season in 2023, he led the Browns to 11 wins with a committee of Deshaun Watson , Dorian Thompson-Robinson , P.J. Walker , and Joe Flacco .
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in a game against the Pittsburgh Steeler son Sept. 21, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The Pats are hated rivals, for obvious reasons; Tom Brady went 12-4 against Pittsburgh in his career, ending three Steelers seasons in the playoffs.
The rivalry died down for a few years by virtue of the Patriots being bad, but it is now back in full swing thanks to New England 's resurgence as legitimate contenders.
The reigning AFC Champions boast rising star Drake Maye, and have paired him with veteran wide receiver A.J. Brown . Mike Vrabel, the Pats' head coach, was originally drafted by the Steelers.
From an X's and O's perspective, the matchups in this game will be cinematic. How will the Black and Gold defense contain Brown's explosiveness? How will DK Metcalf match up with star New England corner Christian Gonzalez ? Who wins the quarterback duel between Maye and Rodgers?
The game is in Foxborough, but there will surely be plenty of Terrible Towels waving in the hostile stadium for a must-see dogfight.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 2, 2026. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
During his career, Ben Roethlisberger went 12-2-1 against the Browns in Cleveland. But the past four years, the Steelers have gone winless at Huntington Bank Stadium.
In 2022, the Browns won with Jacoby Brissett under center. In 2023, they won with Thompson-Robinson. In 2024, James Winston led the Browns to a dramatic late-game surge to win a gritty snow game. In 2025, the Steelers fell short against a Browns team led by Shedeur Sanders , as the offense sputtered without Metcalf (who was serving a two-game suspension).
This four-year losing streak in Cleveland is a bad look for a franchise that historically has prided itself on dominating divisional rivalries. Perhaps Pittsburgh will benefit from no longer having to deal with star defensive end Myles Garrett , who Cleveland traded to the LA Rams .
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a game against the Houston Texans on Jan. 12, 2026. – Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
This game will be a rematch of last year's one-sided Wild Card game, in which Houston trounced the Steelers 30-6. In that game, the Texans defense held Pittsburgh to 175 yards of offense and a paltry 2/14 conversion rate on third down.
This year, Houston's defense looks to be just as good; but Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has had his struggles, which could be a major factor in this game.
Overall, this game gives the Steelers a chance to avenge last year's playoff loss and see if they can match up differently against a strong Houston squad. There is a good chance the two teams meet in the playoffs again, and this Week 13 matchup could be a dress rehearsal for that.
Also, this will be the stretch of the season where playoff races are tight, and every conference game will matter. Will the Steelers have better luck pushing the Texans back with new weapons like Michael Pittman Jr. and Rico Dowdle ? Can a defense that just added cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Jaquan Brisker force Stroud into some ill-advised throws and generate turnovers?
This game will be a litmus test for where the Steelers are at as they make a postseason push, and a benchmark for how much the team may or may not have improved since January.
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey tries to tackle Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren on Jan. 4, 2026,. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
If this season goes similarly to last, everything could be on the line as the Steelers head to M&T Bank Stadium in Week 18.
Even for casual NFL fans, the Steelers-Ravens rivalry is almost always captivating. Last season's Week 18 matchup was one for the ages: fourth-quarter drama, capped off by Ravens kicker Tyler Loop 's missed field goal, punched the Steelers' ticket to the postseason.
This time, assuming it is another win-and-in scenario, Baltimore will be coming for blood. The mutual hatred between these teams runs deep, and Ravens Flock will be out in full force.
Given what we know about both teams, the matchups could be interesting. Will a then-43-year-old Rodgers still be healthy? Will Lamar Jackson , who historically struggles against the Steelers, be ready to go? Just how different will the Ravens look with new head coach Jesse Minter ?
Time will tell. But if history and patterns are any indication, the AFC North will be a dogfight again this year, and both sides could have a lot to play for in the regular-season finale. Steelers fans, grab your Terrible Towels and clutch them tight. Casual NFL fans, grab some popcorn and enjoy the show.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : 5 Most Intriguing Games of 2026 Steelers Slate
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