After playing one of the NFL's most difficult schedules in 2024, the Steelers get a slight reprieve in 2025.
Based on 2023 records, the Steelers' 2024 slate of games was the third-toughest in the NFL, as their opponents finished last season with a .538 winning percentage. In reality, based on the results of the season, it ended up being slightly easier than that at .502, largely thanks to a massive regression by the Browns, who went from 11 wins in 2023 to three victories in 2024.
Their 2025 schedule includes teams that posted a .523 winning percentage in the recently completed season. That puts their schedule as the 10th-most difficult slate in 2025.
But that's the thing about projecting schedules. Past results don't necessarily equal future performance.
But the Steelers do know who their opponents for 2025 will be after their second-place finish in the regular season, though they don't necessarily know when – or in the case of potential international games – where they will take place. That won't be released by the NFL until May.
What they do know is that they will play seven games against teams that qualified for the postseason in 2025, including Baltimore twice. The Steelers are scheduled to be the home team in four of those games, with the remaining three coming on the road.
The Steelers went 4-3 in the regular season against teams that qualified for the postseason in 2024, going 2-2 on the road and 2-1 at home in those matchups.
With that in mind, let's take an all-too-early look at what lies ahead for the 2025 season.
AFC North Opponents
Baltimore (12-5), Cincinnati (9-8), Cleveland (3-14) - The Steelers will play their typical home-and-away slate against their AFC North foes after going 3-3 in those regular season meetings in 2024. Baltimore, which defeated the Steelers 28-14 in the AFC Super Wild Card playoffs, is the defending division champion. The Bengals just missed the playoffs, finishing as the AFC's No. 8 seed. Cleveland, meanwhile, owns the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after regressing from 11 wins in 2023 to three in 2024.
AFC East Opponents
The Steelers match up against the AFC East in conference games in 2025. They'll host the division-champion Bills (13-4) and second-place Dolphins (8-9), while going on the road to face the Jets (5-12) and Patriots (4-13). The Steelers have won 10 of their 13 games against the Bills in Pittsburgh. They're 9-4 in their history against the Dolphins at home. The Steelers are 21-7 in their history against the Jets, including 10-5 on the road. They have won just four of 11 games in New England, including dropping six of their past seven games there dating back to 2002.
NFC North Opponents
The Steelers host the second-place Vikings (14-3) and third-place Packers (11-6). They travel to Detroit (15-2) and Chicago (5-12) on the other side of these crossover matchups. The NFC North was the best division in the NFL this season, sending the Lions, Vikings and Packers to the postseason. Given that the Steelers get two of the three at home as opposed to playing two of those returning playoff teams on the road, this works out OK. The Steelers are 6-4 at home against the Vikings and 9-7 against the Packers, though they have won the past six home meetings against Green Bay, which hasn't won in Pittsburgh since 1970. The Steelers are just 6-12 in their history in Detroit, though three of those victories have come in their last four trips there. Meanwhile, the Steelers are just 1-12 all-time in Chicago, with that lone win coming in overtime during their 1995 run to the Super Bowl.
Other AFC Opponents
As the second-place finisher in the AFC North, the Steelers also will play the second-place finishers from the AFC West and AFC South. That means they will play the Colts (8-9) at home and the Chargers (10-7) on the road. The Steelers also played both of those teams in 2024, beating the Chargers, 20-10, in Week 3 in their home opener and losing to the Colts, 27-24, in Indianapolis the following week. The Steelers are 9-7 against the Chargers on the road in their history, including 1-1 in Los Angeles. They are 17-2 all-time against the Colts in Pittsburgh.
NFC Crossover Opponent
When the league went to a 17-game schedule a few years ago, it determined the odd game would come against a team that is an equal finisher from the division played two years previously. In this case, that means the Steelers will host the Seattle Seahawks (10-7) second-place finishers in the NFC West in 2024. The Seahawks were the one NFL team in 2024 that reached at least 10 wins that did not make the playoffs. The Steelers are 9-3 in their history at home against the Seahawks.
