STEELERS WILL OPEN SEASON AT HOME

How rare is it for the Steelers to start an NFL season with a home game?  Very.  The NFL released the full league schedule last night and the Steelers will open at home for the first time in nine seasons, taking on the San Francisco 49ers at one o’clock on Sunday, September 10^th.

They will also play two Thursday night games this season.  The Steelers will, in fact, open the year with two home games, hosting Cleveland in week two on Monday Night.  Then they travel to Las Vegas for a Sunday night game, and open October on the road at Houston for a 1 o’clock Sunday game.  They’ll host Baltimore October 8^th, have their bye week October 15^th, visit the Rams in LA on the 22^nd and host Jacksonville October 29^th.  The November schedule opens with a Thursday night game at home against the Titans, then a home game against Green Bay, and back-to-back road trips to Cleveland and Cincinnati.  In December they play Arizona at home, a Thursday night home game against New England, then at Indianapolis, home for Cincinnati, and at Seattle on New Year’s Eve.  The final regular season game in January is at Baltimore, date to be determined.

The preseason opens August 11^th at Tampa Bay, then the Steelers will host Buffalo on August 19^th, and play at Atlanta on a date yet to be determined.

Steelers rookie minicamp begins today and runs through Sunday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.  The team’s seven draft picks and seven signed rookie free agents will join about two dozen unsigned invitees.