NFL Admits Rodgers Impacted Steelers Schedule

Aaron Rodgers may have just screwed the Pittsburgh Steelers out of a primetime game in Week 1 because he hasn't made an announcement yet.

The Steelers organization is holding out hope that the four-time MVP quarterback will sign their free agent offer, but Rodgers has stayed committed to prioritizing his personal life before making any future football plans.

This uncertainty in the Pittsburgh QB room has forced the league to keep the Steelers off of many national TV spots. But had Rodgers already been signed, the scheduling could have been different.

NFL VP of broadcast planning and scheduling Mike North believes the Steelers would have been put in a coveted Week 1 showcase game if it was already confirmed that Rodgers would be suiting up in the black and gold.

“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. So at worst, it’s Justin Fields against his old team. At best, it’s Aaron Rogers going up against one of his old teams," North said via Pro Football Talk.

"Look at what we did with Aaron Rogers’ first game the last two years. If we knew something, I think you would’ve seen it reflected in the schedule."

Last year, the Rodgers-led New York Jets were featured in Monday Night Football openers in Rodgers' two years with the team.

Although that first game ended Rodgers' season with a torn Achilles, and the 2024 season wasn't much better in the win total, it is hard to deny that Rodgers still has a massive viewership draw.

But now in 2025? Head coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are still waiting to see if Rodgers will join the team, leaving them currently out of luck for that scheduling pull.

They do not have a domestic primetime game until Week 7 on Thursday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals. Week 4 is the Steelers' first major broadcast game against the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland at 9:30 a.m. E.T. on a Sunday.