The Pittsburgh Steelers have several daunting matchups on their 2026 schedule. We know that Mike McCarthy's team has a first-place schedule after the Steelers won the AFC North last year. Because of this, they will face teams like the Broncos, Patriots, and Eagles, based on their 2025 season finish.
We also recently learned that Pittsburgh will host the Houston Texans for a highly anticipated revenge game of their 2025 playoff matchup, which ended in a humiliating 30-6 loss for the Steelers.
But Pittsburgh's biggest game on the 2026 NFL calendar might be one they won't even be playing in.
On Thursday, hours before the official NFL schedule release, NFL insider Jordan Schultz confirmed that the Cincinnati Bengals will host the Baltimore Ravens on New Year's Eve. This will be a Thursday Night Football contest on December 31 in Week 17.
And it's one that could decide the AFC North.
The Pittsburgh Steelers already know the potential implications of the Bengals-Ravens game in Week 17
Last year, the Steelers were incredibly fortunate that the Ravens got off to a dismal 1-5 start. With quarterback Lamar Jackson injured early in the season, Baltimore struggled. Somehow, they fought and clawed their way back late in the season to enter a do-or-die matchup with the Steelers in Week 18, but ultimately fell short (thanks, Tyler Loop).
Meanwhile, three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow suited up for just eight games with the Bengals last season after suffering a severe Grade 3 turf toe injury, which required surgery. Cincinnati went 5-3 with Borrow in 2025, but were just 1-8 without him.
Now, both superstar quarterbacks are healthy and looking to claim the AFC North title... and the Steelers know how big this Week 7 game between Baltimore and Cincinnati could be.
Odds suggest that both the Ravens and the Bengals have a better chance of winning the AFC North and making the playoffs this year than the Steelers. With three Wild Card spots in each conference, it's plausible that two teams from this division can crack the tournament, but three feels incredibly unlikely.
Even if Pittsburgh meets expectations on their end and earns roughly 10 wins by the season finale, their postseason hopes could rest on the Bengals-Ravens matchup.
Will they be forced to root for Baltimore to crush Cincy's playoff hopes and keep the Steelers' dreams alive, or will Pittsburgh need Joe Burrow and the Bengals to pull through and defeat the Ravens?
Obviously, we won't have the answers to these questions until late in December. But considering these are the Steelers' two biggest rivals, and considering that this game will be played on New Year's Eve in Week 17, it's possible that Pittsburgh's 2026 playoff hopes could be decided by what happens in this highly anticipated AFC North matchup.
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