The game in Ireland – on Sept. 28 against the Minnesota Vikings – is the crown jewel of the Steelers' 2025 regular season schedule, and President Art Rooney II is suitably happy and excited about that. But there's something else he noticed right away.
In 2024, the Steelers did not play their first game against an AFC North opponent until Nov. 17, which was Week 11, and at one point they had to play 4 straight games against division rivals.
"I like to have them a little more spread out than what we had last year," said Rooney. "I thought last year was a little too much at the end of the season, and so I like the way the division games fall this year a little better."
The way the AFC North games fall in 2025 has the Steelers playing 3 division games between Weeks 6-11 – home vs. Cleveland, at Cincinnati, home against the Bengals – with the other 3 division games falling between Weeks 14-18 – at Baltimore, at Cleveland, and then the regular season finale vs. the Ravens at Acrisure Stadium.
But all that will unfold in the second half of the season. Long before that, there is plenty of potential intrigue in September.
With the Pirates scheduled for a 1:35 p.m. home game against Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, Sept. 7, the Steelers will open on the road that day with a 1 p.m. game against the Jets in what figures to be a matchup vs. Justin Fields, who started the first 6 games for the team in 2024.
On Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. will be the home opener against Seattle, and that's where the Steelers' top free agent signing – WR DK Metcalf – played and starred during the first 6 seasons of his NFL career. Then comes a trip to Foxborough for a 1 p.m. game vs. the New England Patriots. And then the following Sunday will be the occasion of the first NFL regular season game ever played in Ireland and the second regular season International Game in Steelers history.
"We had a little bit of input, not a lot in terms of the date and our opponent in Ireland," said Rooney, "but we're happy with how the game fell (on the schedule) and where it falls on the calendar. And the great thing is that the ticket demand is already through the roof. We're going to have a great Steelers crowd in Dublin."
In 2024, the Steelers played 8 games and were 6-2 before their bye on Nov. 3, and often teams are happy to get their break close to the middle of the season. But this time the Steelers bye falls the week after their game in Ireland, which will leave them with 13 straight games before the end of the regular season. But byes seem to have a way of being appreciated by teams no matter where they fall on the schedule.
"Let's say this, we didn't ask for the bye after the Ireland game," said Rooney. "The league has in the past, kind of tended to try to give teams their bye following an International Game. I don't think that's the rule anymore, but you know it's not a bad way to do it. It is a long trip, and so it doesn't hurt to have the bye coming after that."
Those final 13 weeks of the schedule are when the Steelers' 4 games in primetime fall – a Thursday night in Cincinnati on Oct. 16, a Sunday night visit from Green Bay on Oct. 26, a Sunday night in Los Angeles on Nov. 9, and a Monday night against Miami on Dec. 15 at Acrisure Stadium.
"We're not crazy about having the night games late in the season," said Rooney. "It happens, and it's not a big, big deal, but we would prefer not to have too many night games late in the season. Obviously I also look for the long trips and how they fall, and unfortunately we have a Sunday night game in Los Angeles. Not crazy about the playing those night games on the West Coast."
And remember, those 4 primetime games listed on the initial schedule don't take into account what the NFL might decide to do during the window when it reserves the right to flex games. And starting this season, the NFL has the right to flex not only kickoff times but also days of the games. In other words, what's currently listed could be moved to a Thursday or a Monday, and vice versa.
"They do give you a little more notice if they're moving the day as opposed to just moving the time," said Rooney. "If they're moving the kickoff time, they just have to give you a week's notice. If they're moving the day, I think it's three weeks' notice that they have to give you now. So it's a little different if they're moving the day of the game."
Once upon a time, the NFL did not have a significant annual presence on the major holidays that fell during the months of its regular season – Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's. But now there are 3 games on Thanksgiving, Commissioner Roger Goodell has embraced the concept of multiple games on Christmas Day regardless of when it falls within the week, and colleges have learned to steer clear of competing with the NFL on New Year's Day.
The Steelers are not a part of the NFL's holiday schedule this season, but Rooney doesn't believe the fans have any aversion to sharing those days with their favorite football team should the NFL decide to go that way.
"I think fans have gotten accustomed to the fact that we play on nights, weekends and holidays, and so any day of the week is fair game nowadays. And our fans have responded," said Rooney. "We've had games on Christmas as you know, and our fans have turned out. So it doesn't seem to be a problem."
An annual highlight for many has to do with the schedule for throwbacks and color rush, and in 2025 the NFL is also allowing teams to wear an alternate helmet. Rooney outlined those plans for the coming season.
"We are going to have a new throwback uniform this year, and with a new helmet to go with it," said Rooney. "We're planning to wear our new throwbacks for the Packers game on Sunday night, Oct. 26. It'll be fun to wear our throwbacks against one of the older franchises in the league – that just seems to be appropriate. We'll be doing our color rush uniforms late in the year. I think we're going to do it for the Monday night game on Dec. 15 against the Miami Dolphins."
Added Rooney of his overall impressions: "I don't have any major complaints with the schedule. The only little complaint I have is that a night game on the West Coast is always something I'd prefer to avoid. But it happens, and we'll deal with it. All in all, I like the way the schedule lays out. And it's fairly balanced."
