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Aaron Rodgers has yet to commit to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the waiting period seems to be running out, but his mere association with the team is already stirring NFL controversy and speculation.
With the 2025 NFL schedule revealed, there's been significant buzz about the quarterback's influence on it, despite not having signed with the team.
Rodgers Fuels Speculation Around Steelers' Schedule
The Steelers were assigned four prime-time games, leading NFL fans to speculate that the league might know more than the average person, especially since Rodgers hasn't made an announcement.
Some believe the potential arrival of the former New York Jets quarterback prompted the NFL to grant the Steelers so many prime-time slots, as without Rodgers, the current starting quarterback would likely be veteran backup Mason Rudolph.
NFL scheduling executive Mike North stepped in to dismiss the speculation, clarifying that the league assigned these games to Mike Tomlin and the Steelers not solely based on the possibility of Aaron Rodgers ing the team.
"We tried to play it down the middle," North said, via the Associated Press. "We don't know anything more than anybody else. The schedule was built for Coach Tomlin and for the Steelers. If Aaron decides to play, it probably just makes many, if not all, the Steelers games a little more interesting."
The Steelers' first game will be against the New York Jets, Rodgers' former team where he played the last two seasons. Additionally, one of the four prime-time games will be against the Green Bay Packers, the team where the quarterback achieved great success over 18 seasons.
This matchup is set for Sunday Night Football in Week 8, and according to North, a Packers-Steelers game remains compelling even without Aaron Rodgers as the star.
"If it fell on a Sunday afternoon, for instance, it becomes a dominant story of the day, Aaron's first game against his old team," North said. "So put it in a national window, if Aaron is the quarterback, it's a great story. If Aaron's not the quarterback, it's still Packers-Steelers Sunday Night Football in Week 8. It sounds like a football game."
The remaining prime-time games for the Steelers include Thursday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7, Sunday Night Football against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10, and Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins in Week 15.