THE NFL has revealed the decision-making process behind the Pittsburgh Steelers’ schedule.
Pittsburgh is still unsure whether Aaron Rodgers will suit up at quarterback for them in 2025.
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Rodgers, 41, has kept everybody in the dark about his future as he considers retirement.
The NFL unveiled the entire 2025 season schedule Wednesday night.
And they did so with no inside info on whether Rodgers would be playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“We don’t know anything more than anybody else,” NFL vice president of broadcast planning Mike North said.
“The schedule was built for Coach Mike Tomlin and for the Steelers.
“If Aaron decides to play it probably just makes many, if not all, the Steelers games a little more interesting.”
The NFL made a surprise decision to schedule the Steelers’ visit to the New York Jets for Sunday 1 pm ET in Week 1.
That means it will take place at the same time as seven other games.
The game could mark a return to MetLife Stadium for Rodgers after two forgettable years at the New York Jets.
The league could’ve held that game back for later in the season when flex scheduling procedures are in place.
Broadcasters can request to move some games around from Week 5 onwards.
North admitted, “If we knew for certain that Aaron was going to be the quarterback of the Steelers, we might’ve done something a little different in Week 1 with the Steelers game.”
Another game which was also impacted by Rodgers potentially joining the Steelers is the showdown with the Green Bay Packers.
The 41-year-old spent almost two decades with the Packers and won the Super Bowl in 2010.
Reports earlier this year suggested that Green Bay was being lined up to face Pittsburgh in Dublin, Ireland.
But the Rodgers uncertainty prevented that from happening.
The NFL has scheduled Packers-Steelers for prime time in Week 8.
It is one of four prime time games for the Steelers in addition to the Ireland fixture with the Minnesota Vikings.
North said, “If you put that game in a window where it does become something even bigger, we wouldn’t want to unbalance maybe one of the partners.
“If it fell on a Sunday afternoon for instance, it becomes a dominant story of the day.
“Aaron’s first game against his old team. So put it in a national window.
“If Aaron’s the quarterback, it’s a great story.
“If Aaron’s not the quarterback, it’s still Packers-Steelers ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 8.
“We tried to play it down the middle.”