The Pittsburgh Steelers received some insane news about their regular season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, particularly about a week-old injury update and an NFL suspension.
As many fans are aware, the Falcons unfortunately saw their 2025 first-round edge rusher Jalon Walker tear his ACL at the start of training camp. But the bad news for Atlanta doesn't end there, as the NFL has now handed out an eight-game suspension to 2025 first-round edge rusher James Pearce Jr. — which means the Steelers will face off against a team missing its starting edge-rush tandem.
More about Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. being suspended by the NFL for eight games due to violating the league's personal conduct policy when he was arrested on domestic violence charges in February, via @marcraimondi:https://t.co/xVaE7WUXYH
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 14, 2026
The Steelers, who will host the Falcons in Week 1, previously began their regular season against Atlanta in 2010 and 2024. Pittsburgh walked away victorious in both contests and appears to be the clear favorite for the third regular-season opener following the Falcons' latest injury and suspension news.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers receive insane update on Week 1 opponent after NFL injury, suspension news