Mike McCarthy's homecoming begins in earnest as the Steelers open against the new-look Falcons

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike McCarthy headed home to Pittsburgh .

Kevin Stefanski headed south to Atlanta.

Both have been tasked with helping their respective franchises take the next step, though at wildly different speeds.

The 62-year-old McCarthy, who grew up only a mile or two from the Steelers' training facility, replaced Mike Tomlin as head coach in January, well aware of the lofty expectations that come with a job only three other men have had since 1969.

“That lays on me every single day," McCarthy said ahead of Sunday's opener against Atlanta.

Time to see how heavy for a team that, as always, expects to win now.

Outside of replacing most of the coaching staff, Pittsburgh made mostly subtle tweaks after winning the AFC North last winter. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is back for a 22nd — and he stressed final — season. The offensive line is shuffled a bit, but the defense returns nearly everyone from a unit that, while aging in places, remains effective when healthy.

McCarthy's grace period will be short. He knows the “hometown boy made good” narrative only goes so far if victories don't follow, and follow quickly. He's quietly bullish on a team that is nearing a decade since its previous playoff victory.

The drive to Acrisure Stadium will surely be special. One of the goals for McCarthy and everyone else on the Pittsburgh sideline is to not let the newness of everything become too much.

“Biggest challenge for Week 1 is clearly playing within yourself, especially for new staff, new players,” he said. “We spent a tremendous amount of time and energy of detailing how we want to play schematically, most importantly fundamentally and I think the biggest challenge in Week 1 is sticking to your fundamentals.”

The stakes are a little different for the 44-year-old Stefanski, who is starting over with the Falcons after the most successful stint by a coach in Cleveland since the franchise rejoined the league in 1999. While finding a way to return to the playoffs in an underwhelming NFC South would be nice, Stefanski's first order of business is setting the foundation for a team that hasn't reached the postseason in nearly a decade.

Not that Stefanski is in any mood to get ahead of himself.

“The excitement of a new season with the reality that you have 17 weeks to go,” he said. “It’s not my quote, but I’ve heard this quote: that it is not a marathon, it's 17 sprints.”

The Falcons could start that sprint with Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback. However, Tagovailoa left practice Thursday with an oblique injury.

“I don’t think for myself and what I believe I don’t have anything to prove to anyone outside,” Tagovailoa said earlier in the week. “It’s to prove to my own self that I can continue to play at a high level.”

The biggest question for the Steelers is the status of cornerback Joey Porter Jr . The 26-year-old is entering the final season of his rookie deal and wants a new contract. The two sides don’t appear to be particularly close, and Porter has been noncommittal on whether he’ll take the field if he doesn’t sign one before the season starts.

Porter’s teammates, including defensive tackle Cam Heyward and defensive back Jalen Ramsey, want him to get paid. Regardless of whether Porter's in the lineup or not, the expectation will be for the start of the McCarthy era to pick up right where Tomlin's left off, and then some.

Atlanta (8-9) at Pittsburgh (10-8)

When/where to watch: Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, Fox

Latest odds: Steelers by 3 1/2.

Last meeting: Steelers beat Falcons 18-10 in Atlanta on Sept. 8, 2024.

Series record: Steelers lead 16-2-1.

Tagovailoa against Pittsburgh's pass rush. The 2020 first-round pick is attempting to resurrect his career in Atlanta after six eventful if erratic seasons in Miami. Tagovailoa left practice Thursday with an oblique injury. His health is always a concern, and if he’s cleared to play his first start with the Falcons comes against a star-laden defense led by superstar T.J. Watt. Tagovailoa wouldn't lack for playmakers with Drake London and Kyle Pitts around. The key would be how often he can get rid of the ball quickly and how well he can protect himself when he can't.

— Pittsburgh is opening the season at home for just the second time since 2014. The Steelers are 17-8 in home openers at Acrisure Stadium, including a win over Atlanta in Week 1 in 2009.

— Rodgers' 163 regular-season wins as a starter rank sixth on the NFL's career list. Next up longtime Steelers Ben Roethlisberger, who won 165 between 2004-21. With a solid and healthy final year, Rodgers has a chance to catch Hall of Famer Drew Brees in fourth at 172.

— The Steelers are hoping the arrival of WR Michael Pittman will free things up for DK Metcalf. Metcalf's 850 yards receiving were a career low, and his 59 receptions were just one more than his total as a rookie with Seattle in 2019.

— The Falcons have never won in eight trips to Pittsburgh. The closest they came was a 2002 visit that ended in a 34-34 tie.

— Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson's 2,298 all-purpose yards in 2025 were a franchise record. Robinson's 5,648 all-purpose yards are the most ever by a player before their 24th birthday.

— Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews will make his franchise-record 197th consecutive start.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here