I’m There are a number of new players on the Pittsburgh Steelers this season, and some of them — even one who isn’t on the team just yet but is expected to be — will have cracks at their old teams during the 2025 season.
Following the release of the 2025 schedule for the Steelers Wednesday night, their path forward is clear, and “revenge games” are adding to the intriguing storylines for the Black and Gold.
While Aaron Rodgers has yet to sign with the Steelers, they remain firmly confident he’ll sign with them, and when he does, two games on the schedule for the Steelers are very juicy, that being the season opener against the New York Jets on the road and the Week 8 Sunday Night Football matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium.
It’s not just Rodgers, either. New star receiver DK Metcalf has a big matchup at Acrisure Stadium in the home opener in Week 2 against his former team in the Seattle Seahawks.
For Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker, Rodgers’ matchups with the Jets and Packers, and Metcalf’s matchup with the Seahawks are among the NFL’s 12 best revenge games in 2025.
In fact, both projected Rodgers matchups with the Jets and Packers rank 1-2 from Locker.
The matchup against the Packers in Week 8, which will be Rodgers’ first game ever against Green Bay, is Locker’s top revenge game.
“Assuming Aaron Rodgers ultimately signs with the Steelers, this game should top the totem pole for revenge matchups. Until that happens, we can only speculate about the unbridled animosity involved in this showdown,” Locker writes regarding the Steelers-Packers matchup, which will be in primetime and feature a new throwback jersey for the Steelers. “After spending the first 17 years of his illustrious career in Green Bay — where he notched 12 seasons with an 80.0 PFF passing grade or better and four MVPs — Rodgers was dealt to the Jets in April 2023.
“The Jets never squared off with the Packers in either of the past two years, and this game will likely mark Rodgers’ first game against his old franchise.”
During his tenure in Green Bay, Rodgers put together a Hall of Fame career, winning a Super Bowl (ironically over the Steelers), and winning four NFL MVP awards. In a franchise with historic signal callers, Rodgers might be the greatest Packers QB ever.
He’ll get to go against Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and his former QB protege in Jordan Love, whom he has a good relationship with and helped mentor after he was a first-round pick, even if Rodgers didn’t like the selection at the time.
Having that matchup at Acrisure Stadium at night should provide serious fireworks in late October. So many storylines, and when these two teams get together it’s often a great game between two historic franchises.
Then, there’s the Steelers-Jets matchup to open the season.
Not only is it a revenge game for Rodgers — who ripped the Jets during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, specifically new head coach Aaron Glenn — it’s a possible revenge game for new Jets QB Justin Fields. He started six games for the Steelers in 2024 before being benched at 4-2, ultimately leading to him leaving in free agency despite the Steelers making it clear they wanted him back.
“Will Rodgers prove that he’s still able to perform at a high level, in his former stadium, no less? Will Fields make the Steelers look foolish for both benching and not re-signing him?” Locker writes. “Both players under center have important agendas on the line in this contest.”
Realistically, Steelers-Jets should have been ahead of Steelers-Packers in Locker’s rankings, due to the storylines. Fields stated he chose the Jets due to Glenn, which was a surprise considering Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin spoke highly of him and made it clear the Steelers wanted Fields back as their starter.
As for Rodgers, he ripped Glenn publicly, giving fans and the media a peek behind the curtain at what happened between Rodgers and the Jets. It wasn’t a great look for Glenn, though it was just one side of the story.
That should make for a very interesting season-opening game.
Then, there’s Metcalf against the Seahawks in Week 2.
That matchup ranked sixth for Locker.
“The Steelers have some real vendettas this season that they can address right away. This time, it doesn’t involve their (presumed) enigmatic quarterback, but rather a high-profile wideout. In March, Pittsburgh made a bombshell trade acquisition of wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seahawks in exchange for a second-round pick,” Locker writes. “Metcalf (75.0 PFF receiving grade) offers the Steelers a higher-end WR1 than the departed George Pickens, and the team rewarded him with a lucrative five-year, $150 million extension to lock him in for the long term. Metcalf’s exit from Seattle came on the heels of an inconsistent 2024 campaign featuring only two games above a 70.0 PFF receiving grade and lingering discontent about play calling.
“It’s not often that a new player gets to suit up against his former team this quickly. Metcalf will certainly be amped up to battle against Devon Witherspoon and Tariq Woolen in a real game, like in countless practices before.”
Having this matchup on the schedule one week after Steelers-Jets and those storylines is big for the Steelers. Not only will it be Metcalf getting a shot at the team that traded him, it will also be Metcalf’s home debut, which should have him amped up and ready to go on the North Shore.
Getting the chance to go against familiar faces in Devon Witherspoon and Tariq Woolen, not to mention head coach Mike MacDonald, could add real juice to the game for Metcalf, who could be out to prove a point with his new team.
