The Pittsburgh Steelers have turned over a new leaf this offseason with Mike McCarthy taking over as the head coach. His era kicked off with a preseason victory over the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 13.
Some players stood out more than others, but the goal is to be ready for the regular season. Pittsburgh starts the campaign at home against the Atlanta Falcons, and that contest just got easier for the Steelers.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that James Pearce Jr. is being suspended for eight regular-season games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He will join Jalon Walker on the inactive list, who tore his ACL and is out for the season.
The Steelers won't have to deal with the Falcons' top two edge rushers, which will make things easier for McCarthy and company.
Steelers' Week 1 matchup with Falcons keeps tilting Pittsburgh's way
That isn't anything to sneeze at, as both Walker and Pearce were productive last season for Atlanta. Those two combined for 74 total pressures, 50 hurries, and 16 sacks in 2025. There was no doubt that the arrow was pointing up, but the Steelers not having to deal with either guy is a bonus.
Aaron Rodgers isn't a young pup and will be 42 years old when the year kicks off. Keeping him upright is how the Steelers' offense will have success, and the path to achieving that has only gotten easier.
Atlanta will have to lean on a combination of Samson Ebukam and Cameron Thomas to start in their absences, with guys like Bralen Trice and Azeez Ojulari playing depth roles.
Troy Fautanu is going into his third year but seemed to have settled in very nicely on the left side in 2025. Across 1,088 snaps in 17 games, he gave up just four hits and two sacks. Meanwhile, the right tackle competition is still open, but it appears Dylan Cook will win that job. He played well when he came in for relief for Broderick Jones following an injury last season.
This matchup for both guys looks more favorable than it looked earlier this offseason, and that's super beneficial. It will be interesting to see if the Falcons can still generate consistent pressure cause if not, it'll give Rodgers and the playmakers more time to connect. If they dial up the blitz to get home, you have to give the edge to the future Hall of Fame quarterback to diagnose the hot route and make them pay for that decision.
With a little less than a month until this matchup kicks off, the Steelers already have multiple things that should benefit them on gameday.
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