Steelers Week 1: Will Joey Porter Jr. Play, and 3 Other Storylines

At long last, the Pittsburgh Steelers are about to play a game that counts.

The Steelers are set to host the Atlanta Falcons at Acrisure Stadium in the second Week 1 bout between the two teams over the past three years.

With Pittsburgh hiring a new coaching staff led by head coach Mike McCarthy this offseason while there's lingering uncertainty about Joey Porter Jr.'s contract situation, there's no shortage of intrigue surrounding the team to open the 2026 campaign.

Here are four of the biggest storylines for the Steelers leading into their season opener, starting with Porter Jr.

Is Porter Jr. Going to Suit Up?

With the New England Patriots and Christian Gonzalez agreeing to a new market-setting four-year, $135 million deal two days ahead of their Week 1 game against the Seattle Seahawks, all attention is now on Porter Jr.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported that the Steelers have officially made an offer to Porter Jr., which is a step in the right direction in negotiations, though it doesn't mean an agreement is imminent or that there isn't still a lot of work to do.

On Pittsburgh's depth chart heading into Week 1, the team listed either Porter Jr. OR Asante Samuel Jr. as a starter at cornerback opposite Jamel Dean on the outside.

The 26-year-old spent all of training camp on the PUP list with a back injury before being activated at the roster cutdown deadline on August 30 and has been present at practice ever since, though head coach Mike McCarthy stated that he's still ramping up after missing so much time.

Porter Jr. will surely play if he signs an extension in the next few days. If a deal doesn't come together, however, things could potentially get murky regarding the status and availability of the Steelers' No. 1 corner.

Aug 21, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) rushes the ball against the New York Jets during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Split in Pittsburgh's Backfield

After 2025 team MVP Kenneth Gainwell inked a two-year, $14 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency, Pittsburgh pivoted and brought in Rico Dowdle on a two-year, $12.25 million contract.

Dowdle was a member of the Dallas Cowboys for McCarthy's entire five-year stint as the team's head coach and spent the 2025 campaign with the Carolina Panthers, where he logged 1,373 yards and seven touchdowns from scrimmage.

He's set to form one of the NFL's better running back duos with Jaylen Warren, though their playing time split is up in the air.

Warren should pick up a good amount of the passing game work Gainwell left behind, and Dowdle is more of a traditional lead back when it comes to his prospective workload on the ground.

Both players are going to make an impact across the board, but the exact divide in their usage is one of Pittsburgh's most intriguing storylines in Week 1.

The EDGE Rusher Rotation

Nick Herbig, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith were all listed amongst the Steelers' defensive starters on their Week 1 depth chart.

Herbig was the rather clear No. 3 option in that group last season, playing 60 percent of the team's defensive snaps when available while Watt and Highsmith were on the field 82 percent and 72 percent of the time, respectively.

Watt showed some signs of regression with 7.0 sacks and 46 pressures (per Pro Football Focus), however, and Herbig posted 7.5 sacks with far less opportunities in addition to recording the most pressures of the group with 47.

With a new four-year, $100 million contract in hand, one would assume Herbig's snap count will rise in 2026.

How defensive coordinator Patrick Graham deploys him alongside Watt and Highsmith remains to be seen, however.

Dec 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Dylan Cook (60) looks on during the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Right Tackle Situation

Dylan Cook is slated to start at right tackle vs. Atlanta.

The 28-year-old had a strong five-game run to close out the 2025 campaign at left tackle after the likes of Broderick Jones and Calvin Anderson went down with injuries, but he wasn't impressive throughout the summer.

First-round pick Max Iheanachor looked like he was putting himself in a position to take the starting right tackle job during the second week of training camp, though he suffered an upper-body injury in practice on August 6 and didn't play in either of Pittsburgh's first two preseason games as a result.

Iheanachor had some ups and downs in the preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills, including allowing a sack, and Cook appears to have locked in his spot in the starting lineup for the season opener.

He likely doesn't have a long leash, though, and if he struggles against an inferior Falcons pass rush, the calls for Iheanachor to supersede him are going to be loud.

Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI, and find our podcast All Steelers Talk on YouTube or anywhere you listen!

Add us as a preferred source on Google