The Pittsburgh Steelers' official schedule has not been set yet, but they do know which teams they will be playing against in 2024. The NFL has announced that the official 2024 schedule will release on Wednesday, May, 15th at 8 EST. As we eagerly await the schedule release, there's been a lot of speculation as to who the Steelers will play in Week 1.
Arthur Smith going back to Atlanta where he spent the last three seasons as their head coach, and Russell Wilson going back to Denver, who released him this offseason after two lackluster seasons as the team's quarterback, are two popular options. The NFL has notoriously scheduled reunions and big matchups in Week 1 to kickstart the season with some excitement. We saw this on September, 12, 2022 on Monday Night Football when Wilson went back to Seattle to face his former team as a member of the Denver Broncos. Seattle went on to beat Wilson's Broncos, so if the Steelers go to Denver Week 1, let's hope Wilson doesn't go 0-2 in bitter opening week reunions.
The Steelers going to Atlanta would not only see Smith's reunion, but also two new faces at quarterback for both teams. The Atlanta Falcons signed veteran QB Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year, $180 million dollar contract this offseason and the Steelers signed Wilson after he was released by the Broncos. Both fanbases are eager to see their new QB1 step on the field and the NFL could take advantage of that excitement and put them up against each other.
Steelers' Wilson and Smith Both Looking For Redemption
Wilson is 35 years old and coming off of the two worst years of his career. He did throw for 26 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions in 2023, which looks good on the stat sheet, but the Broncos were still very poor as a whole. Smith had a lot of success as the Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator before becoming the head coach of the Falcons where he did not enjoy much success. Both of them are looking to prove that despite the recent disappointment, they can still do what they've done in the past and win football games in this league. They'll have the opportunity to work together closely as quarterback and OC to prove they've still got it.
At this point, who the Steelers play in Week 1, or any week for that matter, is pure speculation. The NFL is certainly interested however, in driving revenue, and redemption games do just that. If the Steelers do head to Atlanta in Week 1, they won't be the only team with a coach and quarterback trying to prove something. Cousins had a season ending Achilles tear in 2023, and turns 36 in August. The Falcons drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the 9th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, so it feels like Cousins is being counted out already and he definitely wants to prove that he's got more in the tank.
The Falcons will be led by their new head coach, Raheem Morris. Morris hasn't been a head coach to start a season since he was fired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012, so it's safe to say he wants to prove he can be a head coach in this league again as well. The last time the Steelers and Falcons met was in 2022 where we saw Kenny Pickett face Marcus Mariota. Both teams have a completely different look now, so this will be an interesting game, whether it happens the first game of the season or not.
Who do you think the Steelers will play in Week 1 of the 2024 regular season? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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