Big NFL Scheduling Rumor About Steelers And Aaron Rodgers Finally Addressed

The Pittsburgh Steelers found out their 2025 NFL schedule, and it has gotten the fan base very excited. The season kicks off in dramatic fashion with a road game against the New York Jets, where former Steelers quarterback Justin Fields now plays. After spending just one season in Pittsburgh as mainly a backup, Fields signed a two-year deal with the Jets in free agency. Now, he will get a chance to show the Steelers what they might have missed in the very first game of the season.

The drama continues as the NFL world waits to see whether Aaron Rodgers will commit to playing in 2025. If he does play for the Steelers, the Jets opener becomes even more electric as a potential revenge game. Rodgers would also face another emotional matchup in Week 8 when the Steelers play the Green Bay Packers. If Rodgers ends up in Pittsburgh, both games would carry serious weight and generate national attention.

That led many to wonder if the NFL might know something about Rodgers’ future that the public does not. The fact that the Steelers are lined up for so many intriguing matchups raised a few eyebrows. 

However, Mike North, the NFL's Vice President of Broadcast Planning and Scheduling, addressed the speculation, and made it clear that Rodgers played no role in how the Steelers' schedule was built. North told CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones more about the schedule and how it relates to the Steelers and the Rodgers speculation.

"You’ll see Pittsburgh at the Jets are on CBS at 1 o’clock in the afternoon in Week 1 along with seven other NFL games all at the same time," North said. "I think if the league knew, we probably would’ve scheduled that game for a national television window."

He explained that the league didn’t take Rodgers into account when building Pittsburgh’s 2025 slate and that the matchups were purely coincidental. 

According to North, the scheduling decisions were based on competitive balance, broadcast interest, and traditional rotation, not any insider knowledge about Rodgers' future.

"So at worst, it’s Justin Fields against his old team," North said. "At best, it’s Aaron Rodgers going up against one of his old teams. Look at what we did with Aaron Rodgers’ first game the last two years (both Monday night games). If we knew something, I think you would’ve seen it reflected in the schedule. That being said, still a good game."

North believes the strongest evidence that the NFL has no insider knowledge about Rodgers lies in the fact that the Week 1 game against the Jets was not scheduled as a primetime matchup. 

If Rodgers had already committed publicly to joining the Steelers, North implied the league would have showcased that game in a marquee slot. Instead, it remains in the early afternoon window, suggesting the league is simply hedging its bets.

Steelers Schedule Was Made Without Aaron Rodgers In Mind

If the Steelers do end up landing Rodgers, that Jets game instantly becomes one of the most talked-about revenge games of the season. It’s possible the NFL is taking a calculated gamble, knowing that if Rodgers does sign, they’ve landed two matchups with major storylines. If he doesn’t, they still have two competitive games featuring playoff-caliber teams that can draw strong viewership.

According to North, the NFL built Pittsburgh’s schedule based on the team’s consistent ability to compete in the regular season, not on any information about Rodgers' future. The decisions were grounded in the Steelers' national relevance and strong fanbase, rather than any assumption that Rodgers is coming to town.

Steelers fans will continue to wait for clarity on Rodgers. Pittsburgh has been linked to Rodgers throughout the offseason, and the team has operated as if he's their expected starting quarterback. However, Rodgers has yet to make any official or public commitment to the Steelers, leaving the situation clouded in uncertainty.

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