A preseason focused on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ future at quarterback with Drew Allar and Will Howard is ready to give way to its present with Aaron Rodgers.
The future Pro Football Hall of Famer will open what he says will be his final NFL season with a Week 1 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons at Acrisure Stadium.
Rodgers led the Steelers to the AFC North division title a year ago and decided to re-up for one more year after Mike McCarthy was hired as coach to replace Mike Tomlin. He passed for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns against just seven interceptions in giving the team the steady hand it had lacked at quarterback since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger at the end of the 2021 season.
continues to reach millions before swan song
He’ll have some new weapons at his disposal as he looks to take another step forward under the coach he won a Super Bowl with in Green Back back in 2011.
Receiver Michael Pittman Jr. was acquired in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts and brings a proven track record of success to his starting role opposite DK Metcalf on the outside. Second-round NFL draft pick Germie Bernard is expected to offer versatility both inside and outside.
Rico Dowdle, meanwhile, joins a backfield led by Jaylen Warren after previously working under McCarthy with the Dallas Cowboys. It will be interesting to see how Rodgers uses him after relying heavily on the departed Kenneth Gainwell in the passing game last season.
Defensively, new faces including Jamel Dean and Jaquan Brisker will debut alongside Tomlin-era stalwarts T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward as first-year DC Patrick Graham looks to help the unit’s results begin to match its gaudy payroll after underperformance in 2025.
Steelers vs. Falcons live score
Steelers vs. Falcons live updates
Steelers take 3-0 lead on Chris Boswell FG
01:19 PM ET, September 13 2026The Steelers are on the board here in Week 1. Chris Boswell converted on a 43-yard field goal attempt to give the Steelers a 3-0 lead against the Falcons with 8:30 left in the first quarter.
Running back Rico Dowdle entered the game for what was the offense's second drive of the game and had two carries for seven yards. The running back was one of GM Omar Khan's key offseason additions. It will be interesting to see how coach Mike McCarthy balances his usage with that of starter Jaylen Warren.
Veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr. was also active on the drive with his first catch as a Steeler. It went for 21 yards and a first down into Atlanta territory. Pittman was acquired in an offseason trade with the Indianapolis Colts and signed to a three-year contract. He missed a good chunk of training camp and the preseason with an injury, but appears ready to contribute now.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed three passes for 36 yards on the drive.
Steelers get stop on first drive vs Falcons
01:11 PM ET, September 13 2026The Steelers defense got an impressive stop on its first series of the season.
Falcons QB Cooper Rush -- playing in place of both Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa -- was sacked by Cam Heyward and Alex Highsmith on third down to force an Atlanta punt. The sack came after a two-yard handoff and four-yard completion to star running back Bijan Robinson.
Steelers go three-and-out on first offensive drive
01:08 PM ET, September 13 2026Kaden Wetjen took the opening kick off for a nice return out to the Steelers' 38-yard line. The Steelers drafted him in the fourth round of the NFL draft for his return skills, and that decision has already paid early dividends with favorable early field position.
The offense couldn't capitalize on it with the opening drive, though. Aaron Rodgers missed on a pair of passes and Jaylen Warren gained just four yards on his carry to force a punt. The third down pass was a deep throw to DK Metcalf that was not close to being completed.
Falcons win coin toss, Steelers will receive
01:03 PM ET, September 13 2026The Steelers will receive the opening kickoff of the season opener against the Falcons.
Atlanta won the toss and elected to kick to start the game. Steelers captains Cam Heyward, Carson Bruener and Aaron Rodgers represented to Steelers for the coin toss.
Asante Samuel Jr., Nick Herbig introduced with Steelers starters
12:58 PM ET, September 13 2026The Steelers introduced the starting defense with moments to go until kickoff here at Acrisure Stadium.
Notably, Asante Samuel Jr. was announced as a starter at cornerback in place of Joey Porter Jr., who's inactive with an injury amid a contract dispute with the team.
Nick Herbig also got a starting nod, even though T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are the top two on the depth chart at outside linebacker.
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. inactive vs Falcons
11:56 AM ET, September 13 2026The Steelers have announced their inactive players for their matchup with the Falcons, and one name on the list stands out above the rest.
Cornerback Joey Porter will officially miss Week 1 with a back injury that he's been dealing with since training camp. He was listed as questionable on the injury report throughout the week. Asante Samuel Jr. will likely get the start in his place. The team promoted defensive back Doneiko Slaughter from the practice squad to the active roster on Saturday, presumably with an expectation that Porter may not play.
Of course, the subtext here is an apparent failure to reach a deal before the team's kickoff deadline to reach a contract extension for 2027 and beyond. The Steelers do not negotiate contracts once the season begins, so Porter appears poised to become a free agent, barring a last-minute breakthrough that seems unlikely.
Quarterbacks Drew Allar and Will Howard; guard Gennings Dunker and defensive ends Kevin Jobity Jr. and Gabriel Rubio are the other inactive players for the Steelers against the Falcons.
Steelers' Mike McCarthy putting stamp on roster
11:00 AM ET, September 13 2026When the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy as coach in January, many fans and critics of the hire feared that he would act mostly as a "caretaker" coach of his hometown team and keep a lot of Mike Tomlin's roster building theories in place. That's not how things have played out, though. USA TODAY analyzed the Steelers' roster after it was trimmed to 53 players late last month and noted that McCarthy has changed a lot in just one offseason. From a large draft class to trades for and free agent deals with numerous veterans, he's quickly put his stamp on the team's direction. You can read more about those big changes here in the lead up to NFL Week 1.
Report: Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. unlikely to play; trade a possibility
10:56 AM ET, September 13 2026ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is unlikely to play against the Falcons because of a back injury. Porter has been listed as questionable on the injury list all week.
Additionally, Schefter said that an early season trade remains a possibility for Porter, who appears poised to miss the team's deadline to reach a contract extension. The Steelers have a long-standing policy of not negotiating deals once the season begins.
Porter, who's entering the final season of his rookie contract, would become a free agent at the end of the season unless the Steelers use the franchise tag to break what coach Mike McCarthy called an "impasse" in contract negotiations a couple of weeks ago. He has started at cornerback for the team since he was drafted in 2023.
Asante Samuel Jr. would be in line to start alongside Jamel Dean if Porter does not suit up. Samuel would presumably inherit Porter's starting spot for the long term should Porter be dealt, so his performance against the Falcons will be under the spotlight.
Steelers season predictions: Google's Gemini AI is bullish
10:40 AM ET, September 13 2026There are plenty of human opinions circulating about coach Mike McCarthy's Steelers as he takes over for Mike Tomlin, who departed after 19 seasons in January. USA TODAY decided to ask Google's Gemini AI for its thoughts on the team from a pure analytics perspective. The results were surprisingly optimistic for quarterback Aaron Rodgers and fellow stars including DK Metcalf, T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Jalen Ramsey. Check out Gemini's game-by-game predictions here.
Steelers vs Falcons betting odds, lines and spreads
10:17 AM ET, September 13 2026Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday, Sept. 9.
- Spread: Steelers (-6.5)
- Over/under: 40.5
- Moneyline: Steelers -300, Falcons +250
The Steelers get a significant edge here as the home team playing against a quarterback making his first start for his new team. Cooper Rush will get the nod from coach Kevin Stefanski amid injuries to both Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa. The Steelers, by contrast, will be close to full strength, with only cornerback Joey Porter Jr. expected to miss the contest.
Steelers vs Falcons: TV info, channel, how to watch
10:00 AM ET, September 13 2026- Time: 1 p.m.
- Location: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh
- TV info: FOX regional broadcast. Check local listings for availability
- Streaming: NFL+ or Fubo
Kick off from Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh will occur just after 1 p.m. FOX will handle the broadcast on a regional basis. Check local listings to see if the game will be shown in your area. Tom McCarthy will handle play-by-play duties, while Robert Turbin will be the color analyst for the network.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steelers vs Falcons live score, updates, highlights for Week 1 game
