Pittsburgh Steelers defeat Atlanta Falcons 20-13 in season opener

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 20-13 in their 2026 season opener at Acrisure Stadium. The victory marked the debut of head coach Mike McCarthy, who reunited with quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the first game of Rodgers' 22nd season.

Linebacker T. J. Watt secured the win with a decisive fourth-quarter interception returned 35 yards for a touchdown. With this play, Watt joined Julius Peppers as the only players in NFL history to record at least 100 sacks and 10 interceptions since 1982. The Steelers' defense also recorded four sacks against the Falcons.

Atlanta's offense was led by running back Bijan Robinson, who accounted for 173 of the team's 238 total yards and scored a touchdown. The Falcons were forced to start third-string quarterback Cooper Rush after Tua Tagovailoa was ruled out due to an oblique injury and Michael Penix Jr. remained sidelined with a knee injury. Rush threw two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns by the Steelers.

Despite the win, the Steelers' offense struggled with dropped passes and penalties. The game also highlighted the newly installed Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass at Acrisure Stadium, which underwent a complete overhaul following criticism of the previous surface.