When the Pittsburgh Steelers dropped their full 2025 regular season schedule, there were several games that immediately struck us a pivotal, must-see football for a team looking to snap an eight-year drought without a playoff win. But The Athletic is here to argue that the game we should all have our eyes on is the Steelers' Week 8 Sunday Night Football contest against the Green Bay Packers.
Right away, our attention was drawn to the Week 1 opener against the New York Jets in what will be a chance for Justin Fields to get revenge on Mike Tomlin, who gave up on him early in the 2024 season. Fans were also excited to see the Steelers host the Vikings in Dublin, as Minnesota had a record of 14-3 last season.
Pittsburgh's matchup against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills after Thanksgiving will be a highly anticipated game, and obviously, their two December games against the Baltimore Ravens will be crucial.
But the Steelers' SNF game against the Packers holds unusual intrigue for different reasons.
The staff of The Athletic recently broke down the must-see game for every team in 2025, and Steelers Insider Mike DeFabo wrote about Pittsburgh's contest against Green Bay because of the history Aaron Rodgers could make.
"Aaron Rodgers has won the Super Bowl, league MVP (four times) and beaten 31 different opponents, DeFabo wrote. "On Oct. 26, if the 41-year-old quarterback is indeed a Steeler, he will have the opportunity to do something unique: win his first career matchup against the Packers and thus register a victory against all 32 teams in his career. Given the way Rodgers’ tenure ended in Green Bay, this could be billed as another revenge game (along with the season opener against the Jets)."
Rodgers could become just the fifth quarterback in NFL history to defeat all 32 teams, joining Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Drew Brees. Talk about elite company on an exclusive list of high-profile Hall of Famers.
Of course, this would first require Rodgers to ink a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Aaron Rodgers could set stage for the most interesting game in the NFL if he signs with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Most around the NFL expect Aaron Rodgers to be in a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform before it's all said and done. While there's no guarantee of this happening, it's easy to see the storylines that will be pulled if and when he signs with the team.
His revenge tour would begin in Week 1 against the New York Jets, as Rodgers would be out to prove his former organization was wrong in sending him packing. But in Week 8, football fans everywhere would be tuning in to watch the Steelers vs. Packers.
Not only will Rodgers be facing the team he spent 18 seasons with and earned four MVPs, but a victory over his former team would grant him entry into the exclusive list of quarterbacks who have defeated all 32 NFL teams. Talk about an intriguing storyline for Sunday Night Football.
It's not hard to see why The Athletic chose this as the top Steelers vs. Packers primetime matchup in Week 8 as the top Pittsburgh Steelers game to watch in 2025.