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Would Aaron Rodgers Impact Steelers Prime Time Games in 2025?
In about one month, the NFL schedule will be released, and Pittsburgh Steelers fans can start to plan their Sunday afternoons on the North Shore.
It’s certain that the Steelers will play some games under the lights. In the last 10 years, the Steelers have never played fewer than four prime-time games, and average close to five per year. Since their opponents have already been determined, so let’s take a look at which matchups are most likely to end up in prime time.
1. Home versus Buffalo Bills
This may come to the dismay of Bills Mafia hoping to make the up-and-down trip in a single day, but this is a matchup too good for the NFL to pass up. If it doesn’t wind up in Dublin, it’ll almost certainly be at night. It’s two nearby, famous franchises with some of the loudest fans in the league. It’s a matchup that’s gone on Sunday night multiple times in the past few years. Pittsburgh has been given a Sunday night game at least twice for four straight seasons, showing that despite the declining success of the team, networks still love them. Dueling with a Super Bowl contender like Buffalo is enough for the league and NBC to make us wait all day for this one.
2. Home versus Green Bay Packers
As John Breech of CBS Sports pointed out, this one hinges on Aaron Rodgers’ decision. If he suits up for Pittsburgh this year, lock this into Sunday Night Football, since it will be his first time against the team he spent 18 years with. Either way, it’s a matchup of two historic franchises that are great for ratings, so this is one that the league will want on national television.
Of course, this game could also end up being played in Ireland, with the Packers as one of the most-talked about potential Steelers opponents for their Dublin game. That game will be played at 9 a.m.
The other big revenge game will be for DK Metcalf, when the Steelers host the Seattle Seahawks. However, they’re not so much of a draw, so expect that to be a 1 p.m. game, or maybe 4 if the NFL is kind to the away market’s time difference.
3. Home or away versus Cincinnati Bengals
It’s pretty much a lock that Pittsburgh will play a divisional game in prime time. Over the past six seasons, they’ve face the AFC North eight times at night. Unless they draft Shedeur Sanders, the Browns won’t be a team people want to watch, so they’re out. Scheduling a matchup with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati late in the year will almost certainly guarantee a primetime game with postseason implications. Baltimore is always a possibility too.
4. Away versus New York Jets
The Justin Fields revenge game has Thursday Night Football written all over it. For what it’s worth, it could also be Aaron Rodgers first game back. The New York market always justifies a big game, but the Jets roster certainly doesn’t. Expect the league to meet in the middle, letting this game fall neatly onto Amazon Prime.
5. Away versus Detroit Lions
Maybe this one ends up on Thanksgiving? Probably not, since they usually keep that game within the division, but a matchup with Pittsburgh to start a tripleheader would be a ton of fun. The Lions are on the upswing and while they’re not usually given a ton of late starts, it would make sense for this to be one that executives gravitate toward.
Hopefully for Pittsburgh, some of these games are on Monday Night Football. The Steelers have won five straight MNF games, and 14 of their last 15. Worst case, they end up on Thursday, where the Steelers are 14-21 all time.