The Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers officially have a date and time for one of the most intriguing games on the 2026 NFL preseason calendar.
The Green Bay Packers will visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, August 13, 2026, with kickoff officially scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time — 6:00 p.m. Central Time for fans following the Packers in Wisconsin.
The game will be played at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and will serve as the preseason opener for both franchises.
While preseason results do not count toward the regular-season standings, this matchup carries plenty of intrigue. Two of the NFL’s most historic organizations will meet under the lights in Pittsburgh, giving coaches their first major opportunity of the summer to evaluate players in a true game environment.
Steelers vs. Packers: Date, Time and Venue
Here are the essential details for the matchup:
Matchup: Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers
Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Acrisure Stadium
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Preseason: Week 1
Pittsburgh TV: CBS/KDKA-TV
Green Bay TV: Packers TV Network
For Steelers fans, the game represents the first chance to see Pittsburgh compete at Acrisure Stadium during the 2026 preseason.
For Packers supporters, it begins a preseason schedule that features two consecutive road games before Green Bay finally returns home for its exhibition finale.
Pittsburgh Opens Its Preseason at Home
The Steelers will have the advantage of beginning their preseason in familiar surroundings.
After weeks of training camp and practices, Pittsburgh will finally move from preparation to live competition when Green Bay arrives at Acrisure Stadium.
The Steelers’ preseason schedule features three games.
Following the August 13 opener against Green Bay, Pittsburgh will remain home to face the New York Jets on Friday, August 21, at 7:00 p.m. ET.
The Steelers will then conclude their preseason on the road against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, August 27, at 7:00 p.m. ET.
That gives Pittsburgh two home preseason games before its trip to Buffalo.
More importantly, the Packers matchup provides the coaching staff with its first true evaluation point after training camp.
Practice performances matter, but preseason games introduce different challenges.
Players must communicate in a stadium environment, execute assignments against unfamiliar opponents and respond to situations that cannot always be recreated during camp.
For players competing for roster positions, those opportunities can be extremely valuable.
Green Bay Begins a Challenging Road Stretch
The Packers will enter the preseason with a different schedule structure.
Green Bay plays its first two exhibition games away from Lambeau Field, beginning with the trip to Pittsburgh.
After facing the Steelers, the Packers will travel west to meet the Denver Broncos on Friday, August 21, at 8:00 p.m. CT at Empower Field at Mile High.
Green Bay will then return to Lambeau Field for its preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals on Friday, August 28, at 7:00 p.m. CT.
The Pittsburgh matchup therefore represents the beginning of an important evaluation period for Green Bay.
Young players and roster hopefuls will immediately be placed in a hostile road environment against a franchise traditionally known for physical football.
That makes the opener particularly interesting for coaches evaluating how inexperienced players react outside the controlled environment of training camp.
An Interesting Reunion Adds Another Storyline
There is also a notable connection between the two franchises entering the matchup.
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is one of the most recognizable figures in modern Packers history.
McCarthy spent 13 seasons as Green Bay’s head coach from 2006 through 2018, leading the Packers to a victory in Super Bowl XLV and overseeing one of the franchise’s most successful stretches of the modern era.
Now, he will see his former organization from the opposite sideline.
It may only be a preseason game, but the reunion adds another layer of interest to a matchup already featuring two iconic NFL franchises.
For longtime Packers supporters, seeing McCarthy coaching against Green Bay will naturally bring back memories of his years at Lambeau Field.
For Pittsburgh, however, the focus will remain firmly on preparing its roster for the regular season.
Why Preseason Week 1 Matters
The first preseason game is rarely about the final score.
Instead, it is about evaluation.
Coaches will be watching everything from quarterback decision-making and offensive-line communication to tackling technique, special teams execution and penalty discipline.
Young players can dramatically improve their chances of earning roster spots with strong performances.
Others may find themselves under additional pressure heading into the second preseason game.
The opening exhibition is particularly important for rookies.
No matter how talented a player appeared in college, NFL game speed represents another challenge entirely.
August 13 will give rookies from both Pittsburgh and Green Bay their first opportunity to experience that environment in an NFL stadium against another professional roster.
That can reveal things practice cannot.
Acrisure Stadium Sets the Stage
The game will take place at Acrisure Stadium, the Steelers’ home venue on Pittsburgh’s North Shore.
Opening the preseason at home gives Steelers fans an early opportunity to see the 2026 roster before the regular season begins.
The Thursday night kickoff should also create a strong preseason atmosphere.
Weather will be another factor worth monitoring closer to game day.
Because the matchup remains more than two weeks away, any specific forecast would be premature. Pittsburgh in August can bring warm temperatures and the possibility of summer storms, so fans attending the game should check updated conditions closer to August 13.
How to Watch Steelers vs. Packers
In the Pittsburgh market, the Steelers list CBS/KDKA-TV as the television home for the preseason opener.
Fans can also follow Steelers radio coverage through the Steelers Radio Network, including WDVE-FM 102.5 and WBGG-AM 970.
For Green Bay supporters, the game will be carried across the Packers TV Network, which distributes Packers preseason broadcasts throughout Wisconsin and several surrounding markets.
The Packers have also confirmed that their preseason games will be available through Telemundo in applicable markets.
Fans outside local broadcast regions should check NFL viewing availability and local listings closer to kickoff.
Packers-Steelers Preseason History
The matchup also has considerable preseason history.
This will be the 27th preseason meeting between Green Bay and Pittsburgh, making the Steelers one of the Packers’ most frequently faced exhibition opponents.
However, the teams have not met during the preseason since 2018, when Green Bay defeated Pittsburgh 51-34 at Lambeau Field.
Their last preseason meeting in Pittsburgh came in 2015.
That gap makes the 2026 meeting feel somewhat fresh despite the long history between the organizations.
The Countdown Begins
The date is now officially set.
Thursday, August 13.
Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers.
7:00 p.m. ET.
Acrisure Stadium.
For both franchises, the matchup represents the beginning of the competitive evaluation process that will ultimately shape their 53-man rosters.
Veterans will begin preparing for another demanding NFL season. Rookies will experience their first professional preseason action. Players on the roster bubble will attempt to turn limited opportunities into unforgettable performances.
And for Steelers fans, it will mark the return of football to Acrisure Stadium.
The scoreboard may not count toward the regular-season standings, but for many players taking the field that Thursday night, the stakes will feel very real.
The road to the 2026 NFL season officially begins in Pittsburgh.
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