In roughly one month from now, the Pittsburgh Steelers will know how their 2025 schedule will play out. One that includes the team’s first international game in more than a decade, hosts of the NFL’s first-ever regular season Ireland game. Against an opponent still unknown and looking less likely to be the Green Bay Packers.
According to NFL VP of Broadcast and Planning Mike North, those answers will be provided in mid-May. Appearing on the It’s Always Gameday in Buffalo podcast via Awful Announcing, North said the schedule will be released “somewhere in the May 13, 14, or 15 range.”
In 2024, the NFL released its schedule on Wednesday, May 15.
In recent years, the league has shifted its schedule release to after the draft in just another way to stay relevant year-round. North’s timeline isn’t surprising but is the most concrete information of exactly when the NFL will reveal the order of its 18 weeks.
Of course, the league is also likely to announce select games beforehand. Season openers, holidays, and international games are teased before the full reveal, meaning the Steelers could know the date and opponent of their Dublin game earlier. It’s expected to occur early in the season, likely late September, with the option for the Steelers to take their bye the following week. If the team ends up with a Week 5 bye, it’ll be its earliest since 2013 when Pittsburgh’s off week came following its London loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Thanks to the NFL’s rotating schedule, Pittsburgh’s opponents have been known since the 2024 season concluded. The Steelers will play the AFC East and NFC North. The Steelers will also face the Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, and Seattle Seahawks throughout the year.
Like most seasons, oddsmakers put Pittsburgh right on the eight-win margin. The Steelers have consistently surpassed those regular-season expectations but failed to make noise in the playoffs, losing five-straight postseason games. Breaking that streak in 2025 will be another challenge in a difficult division and conference, though Pittsburgh figures to be in the mix from September to January, especially if Aaron Rodgers decides to join the team. The biggest question might be whether the Steelers know their quarterback or their schedule first.
