The Pittsburgh Steelers got a big win in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, and that's a good way to start a new era of football for the franchise. With Mike Tomlin stepping away from coaching and Mike McCarthy coming in, the Steelers are still looking to compete at a high level, just like they have for over a decade.

There are already some changes going on under McCarthy, and the first notable one was getting postgame locker room access to see who gets the game ball. In perfect fashion, Rodgers gave McCarthy the game ball for winning his first game as the head coach and being a “Pittsburger.”

Another difference from the Mike Tomlin era: we’re getting a look at the postgame locker room and game ball dedications.

The first one: from Aaron Rodgers to “Pittsburgher” Mike McCarthy pic.twitter.com/6tr4Apf8UV

— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) September 16, 2026

There should be more wins where that came from, but it could be a grind throughout the season. They can hang their hat on their defense, which came up in a big way against the Falcons in Week 1.

Speaking of the defense, the Steelers are still waiting to see what will happen with Joey Porter Jr., as he missed the season opener with a back injury, but it seems like he could also be holding out because of contract disputes. Both sides were not able to come together on an extension, and the Steelers would rather wait until next offseason to give him a new contract.

As for Porter, he wanted his money now, and if he plans to hold out this season, there's a chance that the Steelers will trade him. There are definitely teams that could use Porter in their secondary, but they know they'll also have to pay him.

McCarthy still believes that Porter will play once he's healthy, and he hopes that the cornerback can do more on the field this week during practice. There seems to be a lot of uncertainty surrounding the situation, so the Steelers may be in wait-and-see mode.