We already know that the Pittsburgh Steelers schedule in 2024 will be much more difficult than it was in 2023, but it might just be the hardest in the league. Sharp Football Analysis calculated each team’s strength of schedule based on projected win totals from oddsmakers, and Pittsburgh’s schedule came in as the hardest in the league.
Pittsburgh had the most difficult schedule, with the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Minnesota Vikings rounding out the five hardest schedules. It’s little surprise that three AFC North teams are among the five most difficult schedules, as last year, the division sent every team to the playoffs, and they’ll have to play each other twice a year.
The Atlanta Falcons, led by free agent signing Kirk Cousins at quarterback, play the NFL’s easiest schedule, and that’s also because they’re in one of the NFL’s worst divisions in the NFC South. The Los Angeles Chargers have the second-easiest schedule, while the Chicago Bears, New York Jets, and New Orleans Saints round out the top five.
The Steelers managed to get to the playoffs with Kenny Pickett at quarterback for the majority of the season last year, and they’ve upgraded that room with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields being brought in. The signing of Patrick Queen also solidifies the middle of Pittsburgh’s defense, but it’s still going to be tough to win more than 10 or 11 games, and that’s even a tough projection at this point due to the uncertainty at center, wide receiver, and cornerback.
Obviously, after the NFL Draft, those holes should be filled, but for now, it’s tough to pick the Steelers to be one of the top teams in the AFC. They should still be a playoff team, but having to go up against quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts this season is going to make life a little bit more difficult for the Steelers in 2024. But given the upgrades they’ve already made and with the draft still over a week away, it’s also hard to think that this Steelers team won’t compete.
They should be in the playoffs, but they might just be a 10-win team for the second year in a row. However, they should be a much better 10-win team with improved quarterback play, the addition of Queen on defense, more depth on the defensive line, and future improvements at center and possibly wide receiver.
