The New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers will begin their 2026 NFL exhibition season on Friday when the two teams do battle at Acrisure Stadium.
As is always the case with the preseason, the Jets will have close eyes on all the action as the team make decisions on who will land the final 53-man roster. It is also an important year for Aaron Glenn's status as a head coach in the NFL.
Leading up the kickoff, there will be few headlines to keep in mind before this matchup.
With that, here are Jets Wire's three storylines to watch for ahead of Jets at Steelers
Can Geno go?
It was anticipated that the Jets would have starting quarterback Geno Smith under center in their preseason opener. That did not happen and he was still limping in practice earlier this week. Will Smith get out there in Pittsburgh?
Fourth-round rookie Cade Klubnik started for Smith last week.
How the backfield is handled
During the first day of practice ahead of facing the Steelers this week, star running back Breece Hall was injured. It was of the non-contact variety but he has just sustained a groin strain. It's not season ending.
However, backup rusher Isaiah Davis (ankle) is already out.
That could either mean a lot of Braelon Allen during the rest of the preseason... or a lot of depth pieces we don't know very well in an effort to play it safe. Which route does Glenn take?
Where is the defense on snap counts
The amount of time starters play on offense likely depends on whether or not Smith can play. On defense, what does Glenn decide?
The Jets have a new offensive coordinator in Frank Reich so some extra preseason snaps on that side of the ball could make sense. Defensively, it's Glenn's unit once again. Plenty of starters will already have experience playing in the scheme... so does Glenn start his first teamers in Pittsburgh or not?
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Jets at Steelers: 3 storylines to watch for ahead of preseason Week 2