The good news is that the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have plenty of time to rest and recover from their international game against the Minnesota Vikings. The bad news is that the one and only break for Mike Tomlin's team during the 2025 season comes as early as it gets.
Leading up to the NFL Schedule Release, we learned that the Steelers would be facing the Vikings in Dublin, Ireland, in Week 4. Unfortunately, this also means that Pittsburgh will have a Week 5 bye during the 2025 season.
This makes the early portion of the season bearable, including their nearly 7,000-mile round trip from Pittsburgh to Dublin and back. But what really stings is knowing the brutal gauntlet that awaits them after their early-season rest.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will face a daunting, tiresome stretch to close the 2025 season
Everyone hopes to get their bye week close to the middle of the season. That didn't happen for the Pittsburgh Steelers this year. Because their bye comes in Week 5, they will play just four games before their lone break and will be forced to play 13 straight games to close out the season without a week off.
This number bodes even worse for their chances of progressing through the postseason. If the Steelers make it to the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs, that's 14 straight games without a week off. If they somehow make it to the AFC Championship game, we're talking 16 games without a break. (This is wishful thinking, I know, but it makes a barely unattainable goal nearly impossible.)
With a questionable quarterback situation and aging stars on defense, this team needed to catch every break they could get from the NFL Schedule Release. This early-season by was a massive blow to their chances in 2025.
Last year, Mike Tomlin's team lost five straight games (including the playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens) to close out the year. Their starters, who are often forced to play too many snaps, were gassed by the end of the season. And that was with a Week 9 bye, smack dab in the middle of the season.
The Steelers have some favorable matchups early in the season, but the daunting and tiresome gauntlet to close out the season won't leave Pittsburgh with much of a shot to compete in the postseason. The NFL did them dirty with this scheduling fiasco.