Steelers Get First Shot at Kirk Cousins, Falcons

The Pittsburgh Steelers will hit the road for a season opener full of storylines.

Stephen Thompson | May 15, 2024

Oct 23, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) passes / Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

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Pittsburgh Steelers

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers' season opener has been officially revealed and it has plenty of storylines behind it.

Confirming the leaks and reports that had been coming out in the days and hours leading up to the official release, the NFL announced that the Steelers will open the 2024 season on the road against the Atlanta Falcons, who employed multiple key members of the new-look Steelers offense in 2023.

Perhaps the biggest change that came to Pittsburgh this offseason was the hiring of former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith to serve as offensive coordinator. Smith left Atlanta with a 21-30 record and plenty of questions swirling about his abilities to develop quarterbacks and get the biggest playmakers on offense the ball. But the Steelers are confident his run-first approach will fit well with the retooled roster and help the unit improve on some miserable marks from the past two seasons.

Smith will have some former Falcons to work with while he does that in Cordarrelle Patterson and Scotty Miller, who signed with the Steelers as free agents this offseason.

The Falcons went through plenty of changes of their own this offseason, adding $180 million man Kirk Cousins to be their starting quarterback and hiring Raheem Morris to kickstart the franchise around after three middling seasons.

It is maybe not the flashiest season opening opponent the Steelers could have drawn, but these two up-and-comers will try to announce themselves as serious contenders with lots of new faces in place in Week 1.

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Published May 15, 2024

STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper. He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press. During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.