The 2025 NFL schedule has officially dropped, and while most fan bases are busy circling primetime games and mapping out playoff pushes, the Pittsburgh Steelers are stuck in limbo. With less than four months until the regular season kicks off, the team still doesn’t know who will be under center. The Aaron Rodgers speculation has dragged into the summer, and the longer it stretches on, the more real the possibility becomes that Mason Rudolph could be Pittsburgh’s Week 1 starter.
2025 NFL Schedule Drop Sparks Brutal Takes on Steelers Without Aaron Rodgers
That scenario doesn’t inspire confidence — at least not among national analysts. If Rodgers signs, the Steelers immediately become a dark horse AFC contender. But if he doesn’t? The experts didn’t sugarcoat their thoughts during ESPN’s “NFL Schedule Release” special on May 14.
Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky didn’t mince words. Looking at Pittsburgh’s early-season slate, he said, “I think you’re staring at 0-6 in the face.”
"I think you're staring at 0-6 in the face." 😳 @danorlovsky7, @LRiddickESPN and @PSchrags analyze the Steelers' QB room compared to their competition 😅 pic.twitter.com/mSjI3SqW1P
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL)
The first four matchups are all against teams with quarterback situations that, on paper, offer more long-term promise than Rudolph. The Steelers open the season on the road against the New York Jets — now led by former Steelers QB Justin Fields, who’s entering a make-or-break year to prove his first-round worth. In Week 2, the Seattle Seahawks visit Acrisure Stadium with Sam Darnold under center. Darnold finished 12th in PFSN’s QB+ metrics during his 2024 comeback year with the Vikings and now takes over an offense that finished 20th under Geno Smith.
In Week 3, the Steelers travel to Foxborough to face the Patriots, led by former No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye. Can he make the all-critical second-year leap? In Week 4, the Steelers host the Minnesota Vikings, led by J.J. McCarthy, who is essentially a rookie heading into 2025 after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the preseason of his first year.
Louis Riddick, longtime analyst and former NFL exec, warned that defenses would feast on Rudolph if Rodgers doesn’t come to town. “[Jets head coach] Aaron Glenn will blitz [Rudolph] into oblivion,” he said, adding that Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald “is a pretty good defensive coordinator.” Macdonald, of course, spent two seasons building dominant units for the Ravens — Pittsburgh’s bitter rival — before heading to Seattle in 2024.
Adding to the concern, Peter Schrager noted how the league treated the Steelers in the 2025 primetime slate. “I was fascinated to see how many primetime games the NFL would give the Steelers without knowing who the quarterback is,” Schrager said. “They don’t have eight primetime games. It doesn’t feel like the NFL is saying this is a Super Bowl contender and Aaron Rodgers is that guy. It seems like this is a middle-of-the-road team based on the schedule they got.”
Historically, Pittsburgh has been a frequent feature in primetime slots — logging five night games in the past three seasons and a peak of six in 2019 and 2014. But this year, the league appears to be hedging, offering a more modest slate while the quarterback position remains unresolved.
Whether Rodgers commits or not will determine if this season is one of resurgence or regret for the Steelers.
