The Pittsburgh Steelers' schedule wasn't looked at as being too difficult through the first seven weeks of the 2025 regular season. There were certainly some tough matchups, but it's going to get very complicated with the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers on the horizon. Mike Tomlin is about to find out just how good his team is, and that journey will begin when Aaron Rodgers faces his former team on Sunday Night Football at Acrisure Stadium. It could be one of the most-viewed primetime contests of the season, with a plethora of storylines expected to be present.
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Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks on before a home game as his then-team warms up at Lambeau Field in Wisconsin.
The Packers are the current favorite in the game, despite having to travel to play in what will likely be a hostile environment in the Steel City. Pittsburgh is coming off of a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, while Green Bay had a successful Week 7 win versus the Arizona Cardinals. Head Coach Matt LaFleur and co. were recognized as preseason sweethearts throughout the national media landscape, and that got even more prominent after the organization traded for Micah Parsons.
As he normally does after (and before) Steelers games, Ben Roethlisberger reviews the team's performance on his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger. During the most recent episode, the future Hall of Famer admitted that he is still not buying into the hype of the Packers. He even went as far as saying that Green Bay shouldn't necessarily be in the Super Bowl conversation.
"I don't think the Packers are as good as they think they are, as we think they are," Roethlisberger said. "I don't think they are a contender in the NFC — I should say Super Bowl contender. I don't think that."
Roethlisberger may no longer be playing in Pittsburgh, but fans can believe that he just gave LaFleur serious bulletin board material. That might be okay, however, because Rodgers certainly has some of his own. Roethlisberger went into more detail about the Packers, highlighting what they could be missing on the offensive side of the ball.
"Now I watch the Packers and I like Jordan Love. I think he can do a lot of good things. I think he can throw the ball well. I think they miss — you talk about not having some receivers. They've got some guys, but they don't have any, like, scary dudes."
The Bengals' talented wide receiving corps absolutely destroyed the Steelers' secondary in Week 7, but it seems as if Roethlisberger doesn't believe that will be as much of an issue on Sunday evening in the Steel City. Where Pittsburgh may run into some problems, though, is with Josh Jacobs, a dynamic running back that could run all over the questionable playing surface at Acrisure.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin roams the practice field as his team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
There are a lot of pretty interesting storylines going into the matchup, and the two very-followed franchises will have millions of fans tuning in. The Steelers' offense has been a welcome surprise in 2025, but the defense hasn't played up to its potential. Green Bay has had some ups and downs, but is still widely considered as a Super Bowl contender. To Roethlisberger, however, the Packers are more of a pretender when it comes to championship aspirations.
It is still relatively early in the campaign to know which franchises are 100% contenders, but it's also fair to say that Green Bay is probably being picked right now more than Pittsburgh to contend for a championship.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) getting ready to play against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium before a professional football game.
Steelers' Rodgers Hoping To Make History Against Green Bay
Not many NFL quarterbacks have had the pleasure of beating all 32 franchises. Roethlisberger never had the chance because he only ever wore the black and gold, but Pittsburgh's signal-caller in 2025 will get what is likely his only opportunity to join an exclusive list. That is just another piece to the puzzle. After Sunday's night contest, one team will potentially be viewed as more of a Super Bowl contender than the other, and Roethlisberger seems to not be confident in the Packers.
Do you think that the Steelers' Week 8 opponent in Green Bay has the talent to win a championship? Let us know in the comments below!
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