TOMLIN’S TROOPS WILL CONTEND WITH ODD SCHEDULE QUIRKS

The NFL released the full schedules for all 32 teams last night, and it certainly looks challenging for the Steelers.  They will play eight home games, nine road games, and they won’t play any of their AFC North rivals until week 11.  That means that six of the final eight games of the season will be division games.  Four games in the upcoming season will be in prime time.

The season kicks off with two on the road, at Atlanta September 8^th and at Denver on the 15^th.  Then it’s home to Pittsburgh to play the Chargers on the 22^nd, and at Indianapolis to close the month on the 29^th.

They’ll open October welcoming the Dallas Cowboys at Acrisure Stadium, then travel to Vegas the following Sunday to play the Raiders.  After playing four of their first six games on the road, they’ll be home for two straight weeks against the New York teams, the Jets on October 20^th, and a Monday night game on the 28^th against the Giants.

November starts with a Week Nine bye week, then they are at Washington, home for their first divisional game against the Ravens on November 17^th, then two weeks in Ohio, at Cleveland on Thursday, November 21^st, and Cincinnati on December 1^st.  The Browns visit Pittsburgh December 8^th before the Steelers hit the road to Philadelphia on December 15^th, and a Saturday game December 21^st at Baltimore.  The Chiefs come to Acrisure Stadium on Christmas Day, which is a Wednesday, and the season closes with a home game against the Bengals, date and time to be determined.

The preseason opens with home games August 9^th against the Texans and August 17^th against the Bills.  The Steelers will play at Detroit the weekend of August 23 through the 25^th.

CAM HEYWARD

Steelers OTAs begin next Tuesday but ESPN reports that defensive captain Cam Heyward will likely not be there.  Heyward is entering the final year of his contract and the network says he will not attend the voluntary sessions unless he has an extension in place.  He has not participated in any of the voluntary offseason workouts at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.  Heyward had surgery in February to “clean up” lingering damage from his groin injury, for which he originally had surgery last fall after being hurt in the season’s first game.

Mandatory minicamp for the Steelers is scheduled for June 11^th through the 13^th.