If you woke up this morning, January 16, 2026, and started frantically checking your sportsbook app or scrolling through your TV guide to see who are the pittsburgh steelers playing today, I have some tough news for you.
Nobody. They aren't playing anyone.
The Steelers season didn't just end; it sort of evaporated in a chilly Monday night blowout at Acrisure Stadium a few days ago. While four other AFC teams are currently taping up their ankles for the Divisional Round this weekend, the locker rooms in Pittsburgh are being cleared out. It’s quiet. Maybe too quiet.
The Wild Card Disaster That Ended the Run
To understand why there’s no game today, we have to look back at Monday night, January 12. The Steelers hosted the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round. On paper, it looked like a classic "Steelers find a way" kind of night. They had the home-field advantage. They had a defense that was top-tier for most of the season.
They also had Aaron Rodgers.
Yeah, that still feels weird to say, doesn't it? The 42-year-old veteran came to town on a one-year deal, guided the team to an AFC North title, and then... well, the wheels came off. The Texans didn't just win; they embarrassed the black and gold 30-6.
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Honestly, the score makes it look closer than it was. The Steelers offense was basically a stalled engine. They managed a pathetic 175 yards of total offense. Rodgers was sacked four times by a Houston defense that looked like it was playing at twice the speed of everyone else. When Rodgers’ final pass of the game ended up being a 50-yard pick-six to Calen Bullock, you could practically hear the collective sigh of a city that has seen this movie before.
The End of the Mike Tomlin Era
If you're asking about the game today because you're looking for a distraction from the real news, you're not alone. The biggest reason the "today" schedule doesn't matter is the bombshell that dropped yesterday.
Mike Tomlin is stepping down.
After 19 seasons, a Super Bowl ring, and a record-breaking streak of never having a losing season, the man who defined Pittsburgh football for nearly two decades is out. He walked into Art Rooney II’s office on Tuesday and called it. Nineteen years. That’s a lifetime in the NFL.
People have been calling for his head for years because of the playoff drought—this loss to Houston was the seventh straight postseason defeat for the franchise—but now that he’s actually gone, it feels heavy. Rooney mentioned he wasn’t "shocked," but "surprised" might be the better word.
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So, while the Texans prepare to face the New England Patriots this Sunday, the Steelers are doing something they haven't done since 2007: looking for a leader.
Who Is On the Radar for the New Search?
Since there’s no game to watch, the "sport" in Pittsburgh today is pure speculation. The front office isn't wasting time. They've already started the interview process to fill that massive void on the sideline.
If you’re a fan, these are the names you’re going to hear on repeat today:
- Jeff Hafley: The Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator is a hot name. He’s 46, has that mix of college and NFL experience, and word is he’s speaking with the team as we speak.
- Ejiro Evero: Another defensive mastermind the Steelers have reportedly requested to interview.
- Klay Kubiak: If the Steelers want to modernize that stagnant offense, looking at the Kubiak tree is a smart move.
The "Standard is the Standard" era is officially over. Art Rooney II has already basically ruled out promoting from within, meaning guys like Arthur Smith or Teryl Austin are likely looking for work elsewhere soon. It’s a total house-cleaning.
What About Aaron Rodgers and the Roster?
The question of who the Steelers are playing today is replaced by: who will even be on this team in September?
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Aaron Rodgers’ one-year experiment is likely done. He’s a free agent in March, and without Tomlin, there’s almost zero chance he stays. He looked every bit of 42 years old on Monday night. The team did sign two players to "reserve/future" contracts yesterday—lineman Doug Nester and WR Brandon Smith—but that’s just depth-chart housekeeping.
The real focus is the 21st overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Since Pittsburgh is actually hosting the draft this year, the pressure to get that pick right is going to be suffocating.
What You Should Do Instead of Looking for a Game
Since the TV is going to be empty of Steelers football today, here is the real "Steelers fan" to-do list for this Friday:
- Watch the Divisional Round: If you want to see who should have been the Steelers' opponent, watch the Texans take on the Patriots this weekend. It’ll give you a good look at the gap between the Steelers and the current AFC elite.
- Follow the Coaching Search: Keep an eye on the flight trackers at Pittsburgh International. The interviews for Hafley and Evero are the real "games" being played right now.
- Accept the Rebuild: Rooney hates the word "rebuild," but with a new coach and a likely new QB coming in 2026, that’s exactly what this is.
It’s a weird feeling to have the season end so abruptly, especially after winning the division. But for the first time in a long time, the news coming out of the facility is more interesting than the games on the field. The search for the next legendary coach is officially on.