In his seven-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, T.J. Watt has never opened up an NFL season on the North Shore inside the friendly confines of now-Acrisure Stadium.
In fact, the Steelers haven’t opened up at home since the 2014 season when they defeated the Cleveland Browns, 30-27.
That changes Sunday as the Steelers host the San Francisco 49ers in a marquee matchup in Week One. That has Watt fired up for what’s to come on the North Shore in front of 60,000-plus fans clad in Black and Gold.
I cannot wait to see Steel Nation, honestly, in Acrisure this weekend. I’m so excited and just, it’s been way too long,” Watt said to reporters Friday, according to video via Steelers.com. “It’s gonna be a hell of a day.”
Watt and the rest of the Steelers certainly hope it’s going to be a hell of a day on Sunday.
Not only are the Steelers entering the 2023 season with a ton of intrigue and expectations, they get a chance to see just how well they match up with the NFL’s elite, hosting the NFL runner-up and proverbial NFC favorites to reach the Super Bowl this season.
After all the work the Steelers put in throughout the offseason, training camp and the preseason, now the games count and the Black and Gold get the chance to see the fruits of their labor, so to speak. They’ll get to do so right away in front of the home crowd, too, which should really be buzzing Sunday afternoon in anticipation of a massive showdown with two star-studded teams.
Watt isn’t the only one fired up, either.
Second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett, speaking to Sky Sports, stated that he can’t wait to run out of the tunnel onto the field Sunday in front of the raucous crowd in what is undoubtedly a special moment for every player.
“It’s gonna feel great, I can’t describe that feeling of running out of that tunnel,” Pickett said to Sky Sports. “It’s a really, really special moment that you have with your team-mates, you’re running out there on Sundays, something you’ve always dreamed of doing. So, I’m excited to get back out there and leave it on the line again.”
Though he’s experienced the moment a few times at this point, both as the starting quarterback for the University of Pittsburgh and the Steelers, there’s nothing like the moment running out onto the field as the unquestioned guy for the Steelers. That’s what he’ll experience Sunday. So much hype, so much attention paid this offseason, so much love from the fan base and even some in the national media. It will all culminate in that moment as Pickett trots onto the field for the first time in the 2023 regular season.
Chances are, the Steelers will announce the defense on Sunday to open the season, but if they do player introductions for the offense? Look out. The place might explode when Pickett’s name is announced.
What a day it’s lining up to be on the North Shore Sunday.
