While Aaron Rodgers isn’t a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers yet, it seems like he’ll eventually sign with them. That isn’t guaranteed, but it feels like the two sides have been flirting for too long to not end up together. Looking at the Steelers’ schedule might entice Rodgers to sign with them, too. Although an NFL executive said the league didn’t craft the Steelers’ schedule with the thought that Rodgers would be on their team, Adam Schefter believes it’s a perfect slate for him.
“This schedule is tailor-made for Aaron Rodgers,” Schefter said Thursday on his podcast. “It starts out, Week 1, they play the New York Jets. Aaron Rodgers would get to go right up against his former team right away. Then, from there, he would have Week 2 against Seattle, a team that he’s played and had a lot of battles with.
“Week 4, Minnesota, the team that he could not land a job with, as much as he may or may not have tried to do that. Week 8, the Green Bay Packers. Wouldn’t that be interesting, Aaron Rodgers playing for the Steelers in Week 8 against the Packers? Week 12, the team he owns, at Chicago against the Bears. And Week 16 at the Lions, another team he’s battled.”
To be clear, the NFL didn’t choose these opponents for the Steelers based on Rodgers. Their opponents for 2025 have been known since the 2024 season ended. It’s more of a coincidence that Pittsburgh is facing so many teams that have history with Rodgers.
However, that doesn’t diminish Schefter’s point. The Steelers’ schedule could help Rodgers decide to sign with them. His 2024 season was disappointing, and capturing some of his former glory by revisiting old enemies could add extra motivation.
If he joins the Steelers, Rodgers will get to face both of his former teams. That Jets game might be of particular interest to him. They cut him this offseason, and he wasn’t pleased with how they handled that. Getting a chance to beat them to start the season might interest Rodgers.
While Rodgers’ feelings about the Packers might not be as strong, he’d still probably want to show them just how much good football he has left. He’s yet to face the team that he built his Hall of Fame career with. Beating them could be a nice feather for Rodgers to add to his cap.
For most of his career, Rodgers beat up on the rest of the NFC North. He once even told Bears fans that he owns their team. Also, this offseason, there was a lot of speculation that Rodgers wanted to sign with the Vikings. However, they reportedly chose to roll with J.J. McCarthy instead. Rodgers could make them regret not picking him.
The NFL might not have put together the Steelers’ schedule with Rodgers in mind but seeing him go to Pittsburgh probably wouldn’t upset league executives. The Steelers are already one of the most storied franchises in the league. Adding Rodgers to that equation could draw even more eyes to their games, especially with all the extra details included.
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