The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the NFL's most storied franchises, and as such, they are used to drawing a crowd. Traveling Steelers fans show up in droves to support their team, and they often catch the national spotlight. This is usually reflected in the NFL schedule.
But this year, when the 2026 NFL Schedule drops, league schedule-makers might not have enough incentive to keep the Steelers in the spotlight.
Even with the looming and expected return of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, many predict Pittsburgh will take a step back in 2026. Rodgers will turn 43 years old during the 2026 season, while the team's most pivotal players are all starting to age out—Cam Heyward is 37, while T.J. Watt and Jalen Ramsey will turn 32 early in the season.
The state of the Pittsburgh Steelers could result in fewer primetime games on the initial 2026 schedule
But even before this, the Steelers were trending in the wrong direction. The Pittsburgh Steelers were used to playing roughly five primetime games per season during Ben Roethlisberger's career, even before the NFL moved from a 16-game to a 17-game season in 2021. However, recent trends suggest the Steelers are stepping back from the limelight.
Here are the number of primetime games the Pittsburgh Steelers were originally slated to have after each NFL schedule dropped over the past five years:
Pittsburgh Steelers initially scheduled primetime games over the past five years:
YEAR | PRIMETIME GAMES |
|---|---|
2021 | 5 |
2022 | 5 |
2023 | 4 |
2024 | 4* |
2025 | 4* |
The Steelers haven't had fewer than four primetime games since 2004, according to American Football Database, but maybe that nearly two-decade-long streak ends this year.
It's important to note that the Steelers had an additional primetime game flexed to them in both the 2024 and the 2025 seasons. When Pittsburgh still hung around with playoff hopes in each of the past two years, the NFL threw them a bone with an extra primetime game.
While the Steelers could still be semi-competitive with Rodgers expected to be under center, there's a lot working against them this year.
The Baltimore Ravens could find new life with a young coaching staff and a healthy Lamar Jackson, while the healthy return of Joe Burrow—who played just eight games for the Cincinnati Bengals last season—should make for a much more daunting AFC North race for Pittsburgh.
Meanwhile, all of the Steelers' aging veterans may take a step backward in 2026. And their young draft picks, like Max Iheanachor and Daylen Everette, might be too raw to make an impact right away.
Then there are betting odds.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Steelers are a distant third behind the Ravens (-115) and Bengals (+210) to win the AFC North at +500 odds. Meanwhile, they currently rank 10th among AFC teams in odds to make the playoffs (+145).
The NFL can flex more primetime games to the Steelers. This happened once in each of the past two seasons.
As far as the initial NFL schedule goes, however, we've seen the Steelers drop from five prime games to four in recent years, and who knows what's in store for the 2026 NFL schedule drop. While I can't see the Steelers falling below three primetime games, given their present state, the NFL doesn't have a minimum or maximum number of games it must dish out.
It might be reasonable to assume the Steelers will earn four primetime games on the initial NFL schedule for the fourth year in a row. But considering most of the flat-out boring performances they produced last season and their low odds to win the division this year, this could be the first time in over 20 years that the Steelers fall below four primetime games on the initial schedule.
Add us as a preferred source on Google