The Steelers will open the regular season with a road reunion tour in Atlanta and Denver and play host to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in a special mid-week game on Christmas Day as part of their 2024 schedule.
In addition, they will play the first of their four prime-time games against the reigning NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 6 at Acrisure Stadium.
The Steelers will open the season Sept. 8 against the Falcons, who were coached for the previous three seasons by new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The following week, they go to Denver to face Russell Wilson’s former team on Sept. 15.
It is the first time they have opened the season with back-to-back road games since 2001.
After opening the home season against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 22, the Steelers go back on the road to play the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 29 — the first time since 2017 they have played three of their first four games on the road.
In an unprecedented quirk in the schedule, the Steelers do not play a division opponent until a Nov. 17 home game against the reigning AFC North champion Baltimore Ravens. That is the latest they have faced a division opponent for the first time since the 1970 merger.
The Christmas Day home game against the Chiefs is notable for several reasons, primarily because it will be played on a Wednesday and be carried on Netflix. It will be the first time the Steelers have played a reigning Super Bowl champion at home since they lost to the New England Patriots in Week 15 of the 2017 season — the infamous Jesse James no-catch game.
Because of the short week, the league moved their game in Baltimore against the division-champion Ravens to Saturday, Dec. 21. However, that doesn’t appear to be much of a bonus because games against the Ravens are the most physical the Steelers play all season. It will be the most grueling four-day stretch of the year.
The Steelers will play in Las Vegas for the second year in a row on Oct. 13 — a popular game for Steelers fans looking for a mini-vacation in a warm-weather city. Last year, at least 60% of the crowd in Allegiant Stadium was towel-waving Steelers fans.
Three of the team’s four prime-time appearances will be at Acrisure Stadium. In addition to the Week 5 game against the Cowboys, the Steelers will face Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on Oct. 20 and the New York Giants on Oct. 28 on Monday Night Football. The only road prime-time game will be Nov. 21 in Cleveland on Thursday night.
That will be part of a closing stretch in which the Steelers will play six of their final eight games against AFC North opponents. The Steelers were 5-1 against their division opponents in 2023.
The opener in Atlanta will mark a return for Smith, who was the Falcons head coach for three seasons before being fired in January. The Falcons were 7-10 and never finished higher than third place in the NFC South in each of the three seasons under Smith.
Wilson’s return to Denver will receive more attention because of the manner in which the Broncos parted ways with the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback after just two seasons. The Steelers signed Wilson to a one-year deal for the veteran minimum in free agency because the Broncos are paying him $39 million in 2024 as part of the outlandish five-year, $242 million contract they gave the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback.
Gerry Dulac: gdulac@post-gazette.com and @gerrydulac on X
Preseason
Aug. 9 – Houston, 7 p.m.
Aug. 17 –Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Aug. 23-25 – at Detroit, TBD
Regular season
Sept. 8 – at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Sept. 15 – at Denver, 4:05 p.m.
Sept. 22 – Los Angeles Chargers, 1 p.m.
Sept. 29 – at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
Oct. 6 – Dallas, 8:20 p.m.
Oct. 13 – at Las Vegas, 4:05 p.m.
Oct. 20 – New York Jets, 8:20 p.m.
Oct. 28 – New York Giants, 8:15 p.m.
Nov. 3 – Bye
Nov. 10 – at Washington, 1 p.m.
Nov. 17 – Baltimore, 1 p.m.
Nov. 21 – at Cleveland, 8:15 p.m.
Dec. 1 – at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Dec. 8 – Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Dec. 15 – at Philadelphia, 4:25 p.m.
Dec. 21 – at Baltimore, 4:30 p.m.
Dec. 25 – Kansas City, 1 p.m.
Jan. 5-6 – Cincinnati (TBD)
First Published: May 15, 2024, 7:38 p.m.
Updated: May 16, 2024, 1:28 p.m.