The Steelers are reportedly looking for another wide receiver trade
The Pittsburgh Steelers have made two massive trades involving wide receivers this offseason. In March, they acquired DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a second-round pick and a Day Three pick swap. Two weeks ago, the traded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 Day Three pick swap.
While Pittsburgh arguably upgraded at WR1, they are in a similar spot depth-wise wise to where they were a season ago. They have a veteran who will be there to run block in Robert Woods, who will serve a Van Jefferson-type role. Calvin Austin had a nice year in 2024, but isn’t a full-time boundary option, and Roman Wilson is a big question mark. It’s almost certain that the Steelers will bringing another receiver, whether it be with another trade or a free agent signing. According to reports, though, they are trying to trade for another star.
According to Adam Crowley of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, the Steelers are pursuing New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave. Crowley simply posted “Chris Olave” on X, and then followed it up with a more clear rumor/report.
“To be clear. I had someone who would be in the know text me ‘Chris Olave.’”
To be clear. I had someone who would be in the know text me “Chris Olave.” https://t.co/QQx3vafxVp
Olave would certainly move the needle. While he missed significant time with a concussion in 2024, he had a very productive 2023 season with 87 catches and over 1,100 yards. He would be the perfect X receiver that can win at all three levels, while Metcalf operates more as the deep threat 1b receiver.
The CBS legend wants Aaron Rodgers in a Steelers uniform
The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to be on Aaron Rodgers watch. While it is widely expected that the four-time NFL MVP will sign with Pittsburgh, it’s been over two months since free agency began and we continue to wait. Not only are fans getting antsy, so, too, are those involved with calling these games. Legendary CBS play-by-play man Jim Nantz appeared on NFL Network during the Schedule Release Special.
“I don’t know if you’re watching, Aaron Rodgers,” Nantz said. “I hope you are. But I want you to know that I’m passing the hat here at Quail Hollow. And we’re taking up a collection… Just again, a few of my colleagues and some friends, we want to see you in the Steel City this season. And we’re willing to contribute, I think we can [get] up close to seven figures”
“I want you to know that I’m passing the hat here at Quail Hollow…We want to see you in the Steel City this season. And we’re willing to contribute, I think we can up close to 7 figures.”
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 15, 2025
Nantz and Tony Romo are set to call multiple Steelers games in the final month and a half of the NFL season. They will be on the call when Josh Allen and the Bills go to Acrisure Stadium in Week 13, and they will also be in Detroit when the Steelers face the Lions.
The Steelers begin OTAs on May 27th. Mandatory minicamp is June 10th. As we get closer to those dates, one would think we’d be close to getting some news on a decision.
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Starting the rookie might be the best thing for the Steelers’ future, but maybe not for the reasons you’d expect.
For years, the Steelers have been looking to find their way out of purgatory. Going into each season, including the one quickly approaching, it feels like we can all just pencil in a record of 10-7 and an abrupt first-round playoff exit.
That’s incredibly disappointing, considering the expectations the Steelers have of themselves. The organization firmly believed they had a chance to win meaningful games in January in recent seasons— and so did many of us. In 2023, after Kenny Pickett’s tremendous preseason, the Steelers thought he was coming into his own. When the team got off to a 10-3 start last season, Mike Tomlin had many of us believing they were a real threat in the AFC.
Neither of those things were true. Fans are full of anger, and rightfully so. There’s a ton of pessimism surrounding this regime.
As we currently stand, the best thing for the Steelers is to put their pride aside and lose a bunch of football games. But how could they ever pass it off to ownership and the fanbase? The Steelers simply wouldn’t lose on purpose; it’s just not in the Rooney family DNA.
But I do think there’s one subtle way that Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin can “tank,” while still being productive.
It starts with leaving Aaron Rodgers in the dust and moving forward with Mason Rudolph as the starter entering the season.
Likely, Mason wouldn’t exactly be a world beater given the offense around him, which could lead to early offensive struggles. And in the midst of that, there’s a decision that might just appease all parties: turning to rookie signal caller and sixth-round pick Will Howard for the majority of the season.
Here’s the key — this FINALLY gives them an excuse to be bad. It’s an opportunity to lower expectations for the first time in two-plus decades. Even the most optimistic fan should admit that Howard isn’t going to lead the black and gold to the Super Bowl. But fans will be happy with giving the kid a chance in what most agree is probably a lost year, regardless.
It’d be a luxury season. It’s hard to be disappointed in losing when you’re playing with house money.
Could it backfire, and Howard plays well enough to win a bunch of games? Sure. But that’d be a great problem to have.
This is a strategy that likely results in Omar Khan picking in the top 10 next season. In a draft loaded with quarterback talent, and on your home turf, it finally provides the Steelers with an opportunity to right the ship in a meaningful way. For the first time in what feels like forever, fans might applaud the Steelers for putting themselves in that position.
What are your thoughts on this strategy? Should the Steelers give the rookie quarterback a prolonged chance? Let us know in the comments section!
Think you can figure out which Steelers player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!
Hey Steelers fans! We’re back for another day of the Behind the Steel Curtain in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.
The goal of the game is to guess the correct Steelers player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.
After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.
The 2025 draft came and went without any clarity emerging on the Aaron Rodgers front, leading to further questions regarding where (if at all) he will play this year. If the future Hall of Famer suits up, Pittsburgh remains the likeliest destination.
The Steelers are still “optimistic” Rodgers will sign, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports. Team and player have remained in contact well after meeting in person during free agency, but the 41-year-old’s most recent public comments on his situation made it clear personal matters are the top priority for now. A starting gig would await Rodgers upon arrival in Pittsburgh, especially if his stated willingness to take a one-year pact for as little as $10MM holds true.
Mason Rudolph returned to the organization after a one-year absence, and the Steelers have repeatedly expressed confidence in his ability to handle QB1 duties for at least the 2025 campaign. As Graziano writes, Pittsburgh’s stance on the quarterback situation is more positive internally than it is viewed from the outside. Skylar Thompson and sixth-round rookie Will Howard round out the depth chart at this point.
The Steelers fully intend to bring four signal-callers to training camp, per usual. As a result, an addition of some kind will need to be made, and Kirk Cousins looms as the other notable veteran who could be obtained (albeit via trade, and in a manner which would no doubt require a more lucrative financial commitment than a Rodgers signing). The Vikings are – in all likelihood – no longer in the market for an addition under center, taking Rodgers’ preferred team out of the running.
Shedeur Sanders loomed as an option for the Steelers at pick No. 21 last month, but the team was split on drafting the Colorado product. Pittsburgh waited until much later to add a developmental rookie, with owner Art Rooney II saying in between that Rodgers wants to play for his team in 2025. A short-term arrangement would leave open the possibility of adding a starting-caliber rookie next year, thus meeting Pittsburgh’s goal of acquiring a long-term passer within the 2025 or ’26 drafts.
Rudolph helped lead the Steelers to the postseason in 2023 upon taking over from Kenny Pickett. The latter was unable to deliver on expectations as a Ben Roethlisberger successor, something Rodgers will of course not be viewed as even in the event he signs. An agreement on that front would nevertheless add intrigue to the prospects for a team whose regular season schedule begins with a Jets matchup and includes a Week 8 Sunday night contest in Green Bay.
One of Mike Tomlin’s biggest defenders has finally come around
No matter where you fall in the Mike Tomlin debate, it’s fair to say that Pittsburgh Steelers fans have a much better grasp on things than those on the outside looking in. Eight years without a playoff win has caused Tomlin’s approval rating to tank, and whatever goodwill he has left with fans is waning. Even one of Tomlin’s biggest defenders seems to think that it’s time for a change.
Former Steelers safety Ryan Clark has been Tomlin’s largest unwavering supporter in the national media. He said Tomlin is “Unfireable,” which in it of itself is a ludicrous statement that holds Tomlin to no accountability. However, in the same breath, Clark said it may be time for Tomlin and Pittsburgh to part ways.
“I believe Mike Tomlin should coach and be a fresh voice somewhere else,” Clark said on First Take. “As great as a coach he is, and he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer, I believe his voice has run stale there. I believe he’s allowed that team to reach the highest of heights they’re going to reach unless they can get a top-tier quarterback.”
“As great as a coach he is, and he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer, I believe his voice has run stale [in Pittsburgh].”@Realrclark25 believes Mike Tomlin needs to have his “Andy Reid-Kansas City run” on another team pic.twitter.com/WQMF44pjPe
It does look all but guaranteed the Steelers will be eyeing that top 10 quarterback Clark referenced in next year’s draft. The team’s painfully low ceiling has been evident over the last number of years, though. And while a lot of that can be attributed to the lack of a franchise quarterback, a good deal of it, too, can be put on Tomlin for his lack of progression and refusal to evolve. What 2025 is yet to be seen, but it feels unfortunately predictable, which is what Steelers fans have grown tired of.
The NFL schedule has been announced. Which teams will impact the Steelers draft in 2026?
After spending all day having its insiders BREAK NEWS about the exact date of previously announced matchups for the 2025 season, the NFL finally released its full regular season schedule Wednesday night. Each team puts out its own release video, and let’s just say if they awarded the NFL Draft order based on these productions, the Steelers’ video would be in contention for the first overall pick. Somebody tell Mike Tomlin we wanna see big changes in the marketing department next year.
I don’t think I’ll ever buy into the schedule release as an exciting offseason event, but seeing the full schedule laid out can help us contextualize some storylines to follow this season. Of course, there is no bigger storyline for the Steelers than finding their next franchise quarterback. Regardless of who lines up under center this season, the pressure is mounting for the organization to stabilize the position.
The two sentiments I feel are most prevalent regarding the Steelers are as follows:
The Steelers will once again scratch their way to another playoff berth before promptly losing in the Wild Card round.
Even with the Steelers’ troubling quarterback predicament, I can tell you I still believe that first statement to be closer to the truth than the second. Still, I don’t find it out of the realm of possibility that the Steelers could suffer their first losing season under Mike Tomlin.
So with an eye towards the draft, let’s establish the Steelers’ floor and a ceiling.
If the offensive line gels, and the Steelers get enough competent quarterback play to prevent defenses from selling out to stop the run, the Steelers could have a 10-11 win season. There’s enough talent on this team to even win a Wild Card game under the right circumstances. That could land the Steelers anywhere from pick 19 to pick 28, not exactly prime spot for picking a quarterback.
But in a world where the Steelers’ young offensive line continues to struggle, where the the quarterback play remains subpar, defenses are able to effectively take DK Metcalf out of the game with no other receivers stepping up, and/or Pittsburgh’s defense once again is worn down because the offense can’t stay on the field, the Steelers could have a much lower floor. Looking at the Steelers schedule, I have a hard time seeing them finishing worse than 6-8 wins without some poor injury luck to significant players.
For perspective, last season, the 49ers had six wins, which netted them the 11th pick in the draft. The Cardinals and Falcons each had eight wins and were picking 15th and 16th, respectively.
It’s too early to be certain how many quarterbacks will declare for the 2026 draft, but the class is expected to be much stronger than 2025’s. I’ve seen at least a dozen passers mentioned in various articles and videos as potential first round picks, though history tells us we’ll be lucky if that number is around three or four come draft season.
This class also lacks a marquee name. In recent years, the NFL community has been certain guys like Andrew Luck, Trevor Lawrence and Caleb Williams were going to be the first overall picks for at least a year in advance. The 2026 class could have that in Arch Manning, but he’s only started two games in his college career so far and could elect to return to school. If that happens and none of the quarterbacks expected to declare cement themselves as first rounders, we could just as easily have a class like this year’s where only one or two quarterbacks are drafted in the first round.
There’s a lot of unknowns and uncontrollable variables that will impact the Steelers pursuit of a quarterback, but the schedule release and quarterback situations of other teams around the league can clue us in on which teams to keep an eye on.
As I see it, the state of quarterbacks in the league can be summarized like this (with links to their schedules).
We won’t go into great detail here about schedules. Most of these are no brainers. The teams with elite quarterbacks won’t need to draft a quarterback or be in a low enough position to trade. Teams with promising second-year passers or quarterbacks with freshly signed contracts won’t be looking either, but could be potential trade candidates if they’re picking highly again in 2026 — I’m looking at you Patriots and Niners.
Looking for a QB only if something has gone drastically wrong
This tier of teams is a mixed bag. Some of these teams have been to the playoffs recently with their quarterback. Others have recently drafted or signed one to a big contract. These teams are likely set, but in a league that only cares about what you’ve done lately, I would be shocked if they threw their hat into the rookie QB race next draft.
Minnesota has yet to see McCarthy on the field in game action and we’ve seen teams — like Arizona — bail on a quarterback one year after drafting them. The NFC North has four legitimate playoff contenders, and division series against the AFC North and NFC East will not be easy.
Speaking of the Cardinals, if they miss the playoffs again in a wide open NFC West, could their patience with Kyler Murray run out?
Denver seems like it found it’s guy in Bo Nix, but if he fails to elevate his game this year, would Sean Payton get wandering eyes?
Every team I’ve listed in this tier has a scenario where they could finish with a top-10 pick. Whether they decide to bail on their quarterbacks or become trade partners for a Steelers move up the board, keep them in mind this season.
Teams I’d expect to be looking for a new starter or heir apparent
This is the tier with teams I’m certain the Steelers will be competing with for a QB in the draft.
Cleveland is a mess right now and a team I fully expect to be picking in the top 10 next year. They head into 2025 with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and a pair of mid-round rookies in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. After picking up a second first round pick in their draft day trade with the Jaguars, the Browns also have the ammunition to facilitate a trade up.
The Colts seemed ready to give up on Anthony Richardson last season, and have announced he will be competing with Daniel Jones for the starting role. That’s less than ideal. I actually like a lot of the other pieces on the Colts roster, but without a quarterback, games agains the AFC North and NFC West will be tough.
Vegas is a team I think could actually make significant strides in 2025, but newly acquired Geno Smith is 34 and a career journeyman, plus the AFC West isn’t exactly a cakewalk. While I think the Raiders have the least pressing need in this tier, it would make sense for them to bring in a young arm to develop behind Smith for a year or two. Smith’s contract runs through 2027, but gives the Raiders an easy out after 2026 if they go that route.
The Saints just drafted Tyler Shough, but a second round QB does not have the same job security as a first round pick. Add in Shough’s unusual prospect profile, and he’s anything but a sure bet as a longterm option. Meanwhile the Saints roster continues to get older while trying to survive the cap situation management has trapped them in. If Shough isn’t the guy for them, drafting a rookie QB will be near the top of the Saints’ priorities.
Lastly the Rams are another team I’d bet money will be searching for an heir apparent to Matthew Stafford. Staffor is now 37 years old with a long history of ailments. The Rams explored trading him this offseason before eventually restructuring his deal. As of this writing, 2026 is the last year he’ll be under contract with the Rams. With a second first round pick in hand thanks to their trade with Atlanta, the Rams should be major players for a trade up.
What are your take aways from the NFL Schedule release? Which teams do you think will impact the Steelers draft the most? Let us know in the comments!
With the Pittsburgh Steelers’ schedule now known, I’ll do what I do every year and predict every game on their schedule the week of the schedule release.
NOTE: These predictions are under the assumption that Aaron Rodgers is signing with the Steelers
Week 1: at New York Jets
In the matchup of duel-revenge games with Justin Fields and (likely) Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers will come out on top over first-year head coach Aaron Glenn.
Final Prediction: Steelers 20, Jets 16
Week 2: vs. Seattle Seahawks
I’m very low on the Seahawks. Getting rid of Geno Smith, but signing Sam Darnold, felt like a lateral move at best. DK Metcalf will also be very motivated to defeat his old team.
Final Prediction: Steelers 23, Seahawks 13
Week 3: at New England Patriots
The Steelers have lost eight of their last nine against the Patriots, and haven’t won in New England since 2008. The Patriots will be a playoff team in 2025, and this is where the Steelers suffer their first loss.
Final Prediction: Patriots 23, Steelers 17
Week 4: vs. Minnesota Vikings (Ireland)
I seem to be lower on the Vikings than the consensus. J.J. McCarthy is practically a rookie, and there is no way a 14-win magic carpet ride takes place again.
Final Prediction: Steelers 17, Vikings 13
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: vs. Cleveland Browns
Maybe Kenny Pickett will start against the Steelers (fingers crossed).
The Bengals are my pick to win the AFC North. Baltimore has won it two years in a row, and no team has ever won the division three straight times. That offense will continue to be deadly, and the defense will improve by default.
Final Prediction: Bengals 28, Steelers 20
Week 8: vs. Green Bay Packers
The Packers are my pick to get the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and they’ll hand the Steelers their second straight loss.
Final Prediction: Packers 27, Steelers 24
Week 9: vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have had the Steelers’ number over the last two years. That ends this season, as Pittsburgh will probably be playing Daniel Jones at this point.
Final Prediction: Steelers 30, Colts 17
Week 10: at Los Angeles Chargers
The last time the Steelers played the Chargers in Los Angeles, Ben Roethlisberger had one of his last great quarterback duels with Justin Herbert, and the Steelers lost 41-37. It’ll be a toss-up, but I’ll give the edge to the Chargers at home.
Final Prediction: Chargers 24, Steelers 22
Week 11: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The Steelers get a big division win at home after losing three of their last four.
Final Prediction: Steelers 27, Bengals 23
Week 12: at Chicago Bears
Aaron Rodgers still owns the Bears, even though Chicago will be a very fun team in 2025.
Final Prediction: Steelers 31, Bears 27
Week 13: vs. Buffalo Bills
The reigning MVP Josh Allen will come into Pittsburgh and leave with a win.
Final Prediction: Bills 28, Steelers 17
Week 14: at Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens will win their third straight game over Pittsburgh, causing the Steelers to lose two straight against AFC powerhouses.
Final Prediction: Ravens 26, Steelers 20
Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins
Bold take, but this will be Tua Tagovailoa’s last year as the Dolphins quarterback. Miami can’t win in cold weather, so pencil this in for a Steelers win.
Final Prediction: Steelers 34, Dolphins 20
Week 16: at Detroit Lions
`I’d love to pick the Steelers to win here, and think they definitely could, considering I also believe the Lions will take a small step back in 2025. However, I’ll give them the slight edge in this one.
Final Prediction: Lions 20, Steelers 16
Week 17: at Cleveland Browns
The Steelers seem to split with the Browns every year, but I’m picking them to sweep in 2025. It may come back to bite me, but that’s what I’m going with.
Final Prediction: Steelers 17, Browns 9
Week 18: vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Steelers get their win back and once again finish with 10 wins.
Final Prediction: Steelers 19, Ravens 16
Final Record Prediction: 10-7
It feels like the Steelers have lived at 10 wins over the last handful of years. Maybe it’s because if they finish 10-7, it will be the third straight time they’ve done it
While the Jets weren’t good in 2024, Rodgers still had 28 touchdown passes, which is the number MVP Josh Allen finished with, for what it’s worth. That said, I believe the Steelers will finish 10-7 again, and maybe even steal an additional game to get to 11 wins.
What’s the toughest game on the Steelers’ schedule in 2025?
The 2025 NFL season schedule is here, and if you’re not scrambling to buy tickets, you’re probably looking at the upcoming matchups wondering which will be the easiest and hardest for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If that’s the case, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve been tasked with putting together a ranking of the Steelers’ 2025 regular season games from easiest to hardest — this exercise is for fun, and I’d urge you to create your own in the comments below. I’ve tried my best, but it’s an inexact science and every year teams surprise us by being much better (or worse!) than preseason expectations.
With the caveats out of the way, let’s get to the rankings:
The Steelers’ 2025 schedule from easiest to hardest
Week 6 (Oct. 12): vs. Cleveland Browns (1:00 EST, CBS)
This is an obvious pick. The Steelers should be well-rested coming off an early-season, Week 5 bye, and Pittsburgh hasn’t lost a regular season home game against Cleveland since 2003. Plus, the Browns look to be in another year of quarterback purgatory.
The Steelers, of course, are also in quarterback purgatory, making even the “easier” games on their schedule far from a guarantee. The Patriots seem to have a franchise quarterback in Drake Maye, and paired with a good recent draft, the future is bright in New England. But this is also a team that went 4-13 last season. By Week 3, I don’t think they’ll have everything figured out just yet.
The Jets were 5-12 last season, and with Justin Fields replacing Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, can we really expect a sizable leap? Fields will have talented weapons around him and his offensive line looks good on paper. New head coach Aaron Glenn will be in charge of a talented defense. But the Steelers have much harder games scheduled in 2025.
Week 15 (Dec. 15): vs. Miami Dolphins (Monday Night, 8:15 EST, ESPN/ABC)
Under Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins have come close to the upper tier of AFC teams in the past, but they seem to be headed in the wrong direction following a middling 2024. Plus, two general NFL truths seem to be in play here: Mike Tomlin almost always wins on Monday Night Football, and the Dolphins don’t play well in the cold. Playing in Pittsburgh, the Steelers have a clear edge in this game, even if the matchup falls in a difficult stretch of the team’s schedule.
Week 17 (Dec. 28): at Cleveland Browns (1:00 EST, CBS)
This Browns game ranks a bit higher on the list for difficulty just because of the location. Cleveland does not look like it will be a good football team for yet another season in 2025, but the Browns have won their last three home games against the Steelers. They play Pittsburgh tough in Cleveland.
Week 9 (Nov. 2): vs. Indianapolis Colts (1:00 EST, CBS)
The Colts went 8-9 last year and enter 2025 without Joe Flacco, but instead a quarterback room of Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones, and Riley Leonard. They lost two starting offensive linemen in free agency but did boost their secondary by adding Charvarius Ward and Camryn Bynum in free agency. This game would rank “easier” on the list, but Colts head coach Shane Steichen has gone 2-0 against Pittsburgh during his time in Indianapolis.
Week 12 (Nov. 23): at Chicago Bears (1:00 EST, CBS)
The Bears and Caleb Williams struggled against pressure last year, something the Steelers’ front seven should be able to supply in spades if they’re still healthy at this point in the season. However, the Bears had a strong offseason and look to have a rejuvenated offense under former Lions’ coordinator Ben Johnson. This should be an interesting matchup.
The Seahawks are another team with a lot of uncertainty entering 2025. Sam Darnold will be taking over at quarterback following a breakout year with the Vikings, but can he keep the hot streak going in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s system? I thought the Seahawks’ offseason had some potential, but there are a lot of unknowns at play. The Steelers’ home opener is definitely winnable.
Week 10 (Nov. 9): at Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday Night, 8:20 EST, NBC)
Neither the Steelers nor the Chargers have won consecutive games against each other since 2009. Pittsburgh beat Los Angeles last year which means the Steelers are due for a loss in 2025. Jokes aside, LA had a widely-panned offseason after a disappointing playoff exit last season, but Justin Herbert means the Chargers will always be a threat. And you know they’ll play tough under Jim Harbaugh.
Week 11 (Nov. 16): vs. Cincinnati Bengals (1:00 EST, CBS)
The Steelers-Bengals rivalry has gotten more even ever since Joe Burrow was drafted by Cincinnati. However, Pittsburgh has managed to slow down the Bengals’ high-octane offense at times in the past, and Cincinnati didn’t do enough to confidently shore up its struggling defense over the offseason. Still, the Steelers will have a hard time keeping pace if it turns into a shootout.
Week 8 (Oct. 26): vs. Green Bay Packers (Sunday Night, 8:20 EST, NBC)
The Packers are another somewhat hard to gauge team entering 2025. They’ve been good, not great with Jordan Love at quarterback and didn’t get substantially better over the offseason. Still, they went 11-6 last year in a tough division, and I’m generally bullish on teams with talented quarterbacks and good head coaches. The Steelers will have home field advantage here, at least.
Week 4 (Sept. 28): vs. Minnesota Vikings (Ireland, 9:30 AM EST, NFL Network)
The Vikings have one of the best coaching staffs in football and a great roster to boot. Head coach Kevin O’Connell led Minnesota to a 14-3 record last season with Sam Darnold under center. The Steelers’ best bet in this one is J.J. McCarthy having a slow start in his first real NFL season, or some weird, international time zone shenanigans leading to an ugly game where Pittsburgh comes out on top.
Week 7 (Oct. 16): at Cincinnati Bengals (Thursday Night, 8:15 EST, Prime Video)
The Bengals will be tough for all the reasons listed above. This game ranks as even harder because the Steelers will be the away team on a Thursday Night Football short week.
Week 18: vs. Baltimore Ravens (TBD)
The Ravens are very good and had another strong offseason. They’re bringing back the rushing duo of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry that crushed the Steelers in the playoffs in January. Add that the Ravens have seemed to get hotter late in the season while Pittsburgh has cooled down over that stretch in recent years, and this will be a tough matchup for the black and gold to win. However, the Steelers do tend to shut down Baltimore’s high-flying offense consistently once or twice a season.
Week 16 (Dec. 21): at Detroit Lions (4:25 EST, CBS)
This is a late-season away game against one of the best teams in the NFL. However, after losing both coordinators in the 2025 offseason, Detroit has some work to do to keep ascending. I still think the Lions will be very good this season.
Week 14 (Dec. 7): at Baltimore Ravens (1:00 EST, CBS)
It’s the Ravens again! This time on the road.
Week 13 (Nov. 30): vs. Buffalo Bills (4:25 EST, CBS)
In my opinion, this November matchup against Buffalo looks to be the toughest in the Steelers’ upcoming season. Buffalo has been a consistent Super Bowl contender in recent years with Josh Allen, and the Steelers have gone 1-4 in their last five games against the Bills. It’s a home game at least, but this will be a tough matchup.
The Steelers will once again be ending their regular season with a number of matchups against playoff-caliber teams. Weeks 13-18 will be a challenge! How would you rank the Steelers’ 2025 schedule from easiest to hardest? Join Behind the Steel Curtain and let us know in the comments!
One analyst sees a poor season in the Steelers’ future.
The NFL schedule release has officially come and gone, and we now know the order in which the Pittsburgh Steelers will play their games in 2025. The first month and a half of their season sees them facing off against multiple high-quality defensive minds. And while Aaron Rodgers is expected to sign, he still hasn’t, which is leading some analysts to be very low on the Steelers. ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky says that the Steelers could start 0-6 if they roll into the 2025 season with Mason Rudolph.
Louis Riddic added that the defenses Pittsburgh will be facing won’t do them any favors if Rudolph is the starter.
“Aaron Glenn will blitz him into oblivion,” Riddick said. “The Seahawks with Mike MacDonald – he’s a pretty good defensive [coach]. With the Patriots and Mike Vrabel, with that new defensive line up there in New England. The Vikings with Brian Flores. Come on.”
This isn’t rare territory for the Steelers. Every year, seemingly, this process repeats: everyone doubts Pittsburgh before they win nine or ten games, and then the cycle begins again. Will the Steelers be Super Bowl contenders? More than likely, no. But I will say they are more likely to appear in the Super Bowl than they are to start 0-6— something they haven’t done since 1968.
