Coming off a notable 2023 that involved a midseason coordinator change for the first time in 82 years, a playoff appearance and three deals involving quarterbacks early in the offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers are an enigma going into next season.

Head coach Mike Tomlin once again worked his magic to keep his streak of non-losing seasons alive at 17. He’s led the Steelers to the postseason in three of the last four years, but they haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season.

Here’s a look at the schedule the Steelers will be facing in their quest to get back to the postseason in 2024.

2024 Pittsburgh Steelers Schedule

No joke. Our 2024 schedule is here. @laurelhighlands | @jharrison9292 | 📺: Schedule release coverage on NFLN pic.twitter.com/okiDg2L4XR

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) May 16, 2024

Full schedule information available on the team’s official website.

Analysis

Their playoff appearance last season was largely in a non-competitive game against the Buffalo Bills. The Steelers fell behind 21-0 in the first half. They were able to get within seven in the fourth quarter before the Bills got another score to ice the game.

As the offense got off to a slow start last season, offensive coordinator Matt Canada was fired on Nov. 21. It was the first time the Steelers made an in-season coaching change of any kind since 1941.

Kenny Pickett, the team’s first-round draft pick in 2022, seemed to be unhappy about not playing in the final two games after he was healthy. Mason Rudolph finished last season as their No. 1 quarterback, winning each of his three starts to help them make the postseason.

The quarterback carousel kept going in the offseason. It began when the Steelers signed Russell Wilson after he was released by the Denver Broncos. They followed that up by trading Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles and bringing in Justin Fields in a deal with the Chicago Bears.

For most teams, this would seem to signal a level of chaos and instability. For Mike Tomlin, it’s just business as usual for the head coach who has never had a losing season in 17 seasons with the Steelers.

The Steelers will be looking for improved play from the offense with their new quarterback room and addition of former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator.

Wilson is no longer among the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but last season was a nice bounce back for him with 26 touchdowns and a 66.4 completion percentage in 15 starts for the Broncos.

Fields remains tantalizing because of his rushing ability and big-play potential as a passer, but he’s never been able to put it all together.

Tomlin has insisted that Wilson will go into training camp as the starter, but no one knows how things will play out once both players start taking reps on the field.

While the offense, which also lost Diontae Johnson in a trade with the Carolina Panthers, remains a huge question mark, the defense once again looks strong. T.J. Watt is as reliable as any edge-rusher in the NFL. He has led the league in sacks three times in the last four seasons, including in 2023 with 19.

Joey Porter Jr. had a terrific rookie season at cornerback. Linebacker Patrick Queen, a second-team All-Pro selection in 2023, left the Baltimore Ravens to sign with the Steelers in free agency.

Tomlin’s steely demeanor and influence over the entire locker room will be critical as the Steelers go against a brutal schedule that includes seven games against teams that made the playoffs last season.

The AFC North was arguably the best division in the NFL last year, and it figures to be even better in 2024 with Joe Burrow coming back at full strength for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Pivotal Matchups

When you’re playing in a division that had three playoff teams, and the one everybody assumed was going to be in the playoffs missed the field primarily because of an injury to their quarterback, you have to win a majority of those six games on the schedule.

The Steelers made the playoffs last year on the strength of going 5-1 against the AFC North in 2023. They swept the two-game series against the Ravens, though the Week 18 game comes with a caveat because Baltimore rested all of its key starters since it already clinched home-field advantage.

Outside of the division, the measuring stick game for every AFC team right now is against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Steelers will host the two-time defending Super Bowl champs on Christmas Day.

Pittsburgh’s list of NFC opponents includes the East division and Atlanta Falcons. The games against the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, two playoff teams last season, are key matchups that will show where the Steelers rank in the overall NFL hierarchy.

As far as storylines go, it’s hard to think of a juicier matchup than the Steelers-Broncos game at Empower Field if Wilson is starting for Pittsburgh. It’s not a stretch to say the dynamic between Wilson and Sean Payton wasn’t great during their lone season together.

It was definitely in the best interest of both parties for a split to happen, but it could have been handled much better on the Broncos’ side than it was.

Overall, the Steelers will face the toughest strength of schedule based on opponents’ 2023 winning percentage. They have their work cut for them to make the playoffs again, but Tomlin has made a great career out of defying the odds over and over again.