PITTSBURGH STEELERS
AFC North•10-7 SU · 9-8 ATS•Acrisure Stadium
2026 Just J Football Companion profile
Schedule
Next up · Week 1
vs Atlanta Falcons
Sun 9/13 · 1:00 PM
2026 schedule
- Wk 1vs Atlanta FalconsSpread —Total —Sun 9/13 · 1:00 PM
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- Wk 2at New England PatriotsSpread —Total —Sun 9/20 · 1:00 PM
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- Wk 3vs Cincinnati BengalsSpread —Total —Sun 9/27 · 1:00 PM
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- Wk 4at Cleveland BrownsSpread —Total —Thu 10/1 · 8:15 PM
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- Wk 5vs Indianapolis ColtsSpread —Total —Sun 10/11 · 1:00 PM
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- Wk 6at Tampa Bay BuccaneersSpread —Total —Sun 10/18 · 1:00 PM
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- Wk 7vs New Orleans Saints (Paris)Spread —Total —Sun 10/25 · 9:30 AM
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- Wk 8vs Cleveland BrownsSpread —Total —Sun 11/1 · 1:00 PM
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- Wk 9Bye week
- Wk 10at Cincinnati BengalsSpread —Total —Sun 11/15 · 8:20 PM
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- Wk 11at Philadelphia EaglesSpread —Total —Sun 11/22 · 4:25 PM
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- Wk 12vs Denver BroncosSpread —Total —Fri 11/27 · 3:00 PM
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- Wk 13vs Houston TexansSpread —Total —Sun 12/6 · 8:20 PM
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- Wk 14at Jacksonville JaguarsSpread —Total —Mon 12/14 · 8:15 PM
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- Wk 15vs Baltimore RavensSpread —Total —Sun 12/20 · 1:00 PM
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- Wk 16vs Carolina PanthersSpread —Total —
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- Wk 17at Tennessee TitansSpread —Total —Sun 1/3 · 1:00 PM
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- Wk 18at Baltimore RavensSpread —Total —
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Every game gets a JustJ pick — ATS side and total. Posted numbers are used the moment books hang them; until then the pick is quoted on the JustJ line and refreshes each week.
Schedule & market notes
- Bye: Week 9 — a mid-season bye, giving a roughly even split on either side.
- Short-week / non-Sunday games: 1 Thursday, 1 Monday, 1 Friday — short-rest games carry their own well-documented ATS variance, worth flagging on your calendar as they approach.
- International game(s): Week 7 vs New Orleans Saints (Paris) — a true road game with no home-field advantage and real short-week/travel logistics even when technically the “home” team.
53-MAN ROSTER
Handicapping
Betting profile — vs. the number
2025 ATS
9-8
52.9% cover rate — 13th of 32
2025 Straight up
10-7
Point differential +10
Scoring environment
46.1
Combined points per game — 17th highest of 32
Home venue
Grass
Acrisure Stadium
Points scored / allowed
23.4 per game scored (15th) · 22.8 allowed (17th)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory +0.6 (18th) · Strength of schedule -0.5
- Totals: Aaron Rodgers's farewell season under new HC Mike McCarthy — a veteran-led team with real motivation but real age and health variance.
Power ratings — strength against the field
SRS power rating
+0.1
18th of 32 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
-0.3
16th of 32
Defensive SRS
+0.4
16th of 32
Points (margin of victory)
+0.6 · 18th of 32
Against the spread
9-8 (52.9%) · 13th of 32
Totals (combined PPG)
46.1 · 17th of 32
Turnover differential +12 · 2025 results, Just J Football Companion / Pro-Football-Reference.
Power ratings & 2025 results
- 2025 record: 10-7-0 — Points For 397, Points Against 387 (differential +10).
- Margin of Victory: +0.6 pts/game — the average scoring margin across all 2025 games, win or lose.
- Strength of Schedule (SoS): -0.5 — Pro-Football-Reference's SRS-based measure of 2025 opponent quality; positive means a tougher slate than average.
- SRS (power rating): +0.1 — Simple Rating System score, which converts directly to a projected point spread on a neutral field against a leagueaverage team.
- Offensive SRS: -0.3 · Defensive SRS: +0.4 — the SRS power rating split into offensive and defensive components; higher offensive and higher defensive figures are both better.
- Turnover differential: +12 — total takeaways minus giveaways across the 2025 season, one of the more volatile year-to-year metrics and worth weighing against the rest of this profile rather than on its own.
League-wide unit ranks
Offensive Line
14
Defensive Line / Front Seven
3
T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig, Alex Highsmith all posted 75+ pass-rush grades; Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton anchor the interior
Linebackers
26
Patrick Queen struggled badly (43.5 grade, allowed most coverage yards of any LB in NFL)
Defensive Backs / Secondary
—
Infused more talent this offseason, adding Jamel Dean, Jaquan Brisker, and Daylen Everette to a seasoned group
Special Teams
—
Kicker: Chris Boswell
Overall Offense
16
Offensive SRS: -0.3
Overall Defense
16
Defensive SRS: +0.4
Handicapping notes
- Grass: Acrisure Stadium — 2025: 10-7 straight-up, 9-8 against the spread.
- Aaron Rodgers's farewell season under new HC Mike McCarthy: a veteran-led team with real motivation but real age and health variance.
Pro Bowlers
- Offense: None on offense — no Steelers offensive player made the 2025-season Pro Bowl.
- Defense: S Jalen Ramsey, Edge T.J. Watt; ST Ben Skowronek.
Coaches
Coaching staff
Head Coach
Mike McCarthy
1st season
Offensive Coordinator
Brian Angelichio
1st season; McCarthy is play-caller
Offensive Line Coach
James Campen
Defensive Coordinator
Patrick Graham
1st season
Defensive Line Coach
Domata Peko
Offense
Offensive unit ranks
Offensive Line Rank
21/32
Sharp Football Analysis, 2026 preseason
Key skill players
- QB1Aaron Rodgers(announced this will be his final season)QB29
- RB1Jaylen Warrenoutside the top 30 RBs
- WR1DK MetcalfWR15 range
- WR2Michael Pittman Jr.outside the top 40 WRs
- TE1Pat FreiermuthTE22
- TEAM DEFENSE (D/ST)Steelers D/ST
Key Offensive Line
LT Broderick JonesGeorgia
still on his rookie contract (2023 1st-round pick, No. 14 overall). 4th NFL season; moved from right to left tackle in 2025 after two seasons on the right side, part of a 2-time national champion pedigree at Georgia.
C Zach FrazierWest Virginia
still on his rookie contract; extension-eligible after 2026. 3rd NFL season; considered a rising star at center and the linchpin of a young, promising offensive line.
RT Troy FautanuWashington
still on his rookie contract (2024 1st-round pick). 3rd NFL season; a first-round pick who missed most of 2025 with injury, now healthy and set to anchor the right side.
Defense
Defensive unit ranks
Defensive Line Rank (front seven)
7/32
Sharp Football Analysis, 2026 preseason
Defensive efficiency
- 5.5 yards allowed per play, 20th of 32.
- 22.4% pressure rate generated (blitzed on 28.7% of dropbacks), 19th of 32.
- 40.7% opponent drive scoring rate — a below-average mark.
- 14.1% opponent drive turnover rate — one of the higher forced-turnover rates in the league.
- 126 missed tackles on the season.
Key Defensive Line
Edge T.J. WattWisconsin
3 yr / $123M extension (2025), $108M guaranteed; ~$41M AAV, was the NFL's highest-paid non-quarterback at signing. 9th NFL season; a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
DT Cameron HeywardOhio State
3 yr extension (2024); ~$14.5M AAV. 15th NFL season; a First-team All-Pro in 2024 and the longtime captain and anchor of Pittsburgh's defensive front.
DT Derrick HarmonOregon
still on his rookie contract (2025 1st-round pick). 2nd NFL season; part of the interior rotation the Steelers are counting on to develop alongside Heyward.
Key Linebackers
Edge/OLB Alex HighsmithCharlotte
returning starter opposite Watt; 7th NFL season, a consistently productive pass rusher who's quietly one of the better complementary edge rushers in the league.
ILB Patrick QueenLSU
free-agent signing (2024); 7th NFL season, brought in to be a three-down presence in the middle of Pittsburgh's defense.
ILB Payton WilsonNC State
still on his rookie contract (2024 3rd-round pick). 3rd NFL season; paired with Queen at inside linebacker after a productive rookie season.
Key Defensive Backs
S Jalen RamseyFlorida State
veteran star now playing safety; a Pro Bowler in 2025 and one of the most accomplished defensive backs of his generation across a decorated career.
CB Joey Porter Jr.Penn State
still on his rookie-era extension window; 4th NFL season, led the team with 14 passes defensed and is the clear CB1.
CB Jamel DeanAuburn
veteran addition to the cornerback room; 8th NFL season, adds experienced depth opposite Porter. A FC NOR TH PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Fantasy
Projected fantasy points per game · 2026
Standard 12-team scoring (non-PPR): 1 pt / 25 pass yds, 4 pts pass TD, -2 INT, 1 pt / 10 rush+rec yds, 6 pts TD, -2 fumble lost. Projections are modeled from each player's 2026 positional rank.
| Player | Rank | Proj FPPG | Proj season | Actual FPPG | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 Aaron Rodgers | QB29 | 12.5 | 213 | — | — |
| RB1 Jaylen Warren | outside the top 30 RBs | — | — | — | — |
| WR1 DK Metcalf | WR15 range | — | — | — | — |
| WR2 Michael Pittman Jr. | outside the top 40 WRs | — | — | — | — |
| TE1 Pat Freiermuth | TE22 | 6.2 | 105 | — | — |
| TEAM DEFENSE (D/ST) Steelers D/ST | — | — | — | — | — |
Season fantasy tracker
Weekly fantasy scoring for these players appears here once 2026 games go final — each week's points are graded in standard 12-team scoring and rolled into the actual FPPG above.
Environment
- Home games: outdoor stadium — late-season (Dec./Jan.) home dates carry real weather risk for passing-game and kicking volume.
- 2025 recap: DK Metcalf's first year in Pittsburgh was solid but unspectacular, Aaron Rodgers managed the offense as a game manager, and the run game stayed committee-based behind Jaylen Warren.
- 2026 projection: Metcalf projects as a low-end WR2 target earner. Rodgers is a late-round QB2 stream-only option in his farewell season. This offense stays lower-priority for fantasy purposes outside of the Steelers' top-3-ranked defense.
- DK Metcalf: Pro: real size/speed target earner with red zone upside. Con: Rodgers's declining arm strength can cap the offense's overall ceiling.
- Steelers D/ST: Pro: a top-3-ranked fantasy defense, a strong streaming option most weeks. Con: minimal — one of the safer defensive starts in fantasy. A FC NOR TH PITTSBURGH STEELERS
NOTES
No notes on PITTSBURGH STEELERS yet.