A few weeks in the past, the schedule for the 2025 NFL season got here out. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, there are a number of quirks. They’ll play the primary regular-season recreation in Dublin in opposition to the Minnesota Vikings and shut the season with one of many hardest stretches within the league. To the frustration of some, the Steelers even have their bye in Week 5.
The Steelers’ bye week comes proper after their worldwide recreation in opposition to the Vikings. Sometimes, the league schedules bye weeks for groups getting back from an abroad recreation, so many figured that’s the rationale for the Steelers’ bye week coming so early. Nevertheless, NFL VP of Broadcast Planning and Scheduling Mike North claims that’s not a rule of thumb anymore.
“Once we had been first type of dipping our toe into the water on worldwide video games, we had been extremely accommodating about byes,” North stated Wednesday evening on 93.7 The Fan. “But when you concentrate on it, like for the Steelers as an example, going over to Dublin, enjoying within the afternoon after which coming again, they’re in all probability again of their facility by midnight. So these worldwide video games, a minimum of within the UK and Europe, they’re turning into a little bit bit extra routine. So we’ve gotten rid of the rule.”
With that in thoughts, it feels much more unfortunate that the Steelers bought their bye in Week 5. For comparability, the Cleveland Browns, who play the Vikings in London in Week 5, don’t come residence to a bye week. They play the Steelers the next Sunday and comply with that with video games in opposition to each the Dolphins and Patriots earlier than their bye in Week 9.
So, it does really feel a little bit unfortunate that Pittsburgh bought such an early bye week. Contemplating how exhausting the again half of their schedule appears, a bye week towards the center or finish of the yr would have suited the Steelers a lot better. An early bye is actually not one thing they requested, however the Steelers don’t have any alternative however to beat that.
“Now, the byes fall the place they fall,” North stated. “And I don’t know if the Steelers had been pleased with their bye in Week 5. They get their Thursday recreation, coming a little bit bit later. So that you get like, that mini bye after the Thursday.”
The Thursday recreation North is referring to is available in Week 7, when the Steelers go to the Bengals. Then they’ve per week and a half earlier than internet hosting the Packers. North mentions that they get their bye “later” however even Week 7 is early. And whereas a Thursday evening recreation does give some further relaxation for the subsequent week, it nonetheless cuts down the quantity of relaxation from the prior week. The Steelers play the Browns at residence in Week 6, giving them simply three days of relaxation in between video games.
On the finish of the day, there are some things to complain about relating to the 2025 schedule. There’s the brutal stretch to finish the yr, and the Steelers’ early bye week as nicely. Nevertheless, if Pittsburgh goes to make any noise in 2025, it must overcome adversity anyway.
