Millions of fans — not to mention TV executives, travel agents and so many other interested parties — are impatiently waiting for the 2026 NFL schedule release. Both ESPN and NFL Network teased their coverage of the schedule release during the April 23-25 NFL Draft, but no exact date was given.
That’s because the NFL is still trying to finalize all the details.
Most insiders expected the schedule release to come next Wednesday or Thursday, May 13 or 14. Now there are rumblings that it might not happen until May 20 or 21.
The most likely reason for this delay, as has been reported, is that the NFL is still negotiating a new TV package — a set of five games, possibly including a new stand-alone game on Thanksgiving Eve — that would go to a streamer.
Then again, there could be a much simpler reason for the holdup. It’s possible the league is just waiting on Aaron Rodgers… again.
The 41-year-old future Hall of Fame quarterback is strongly expected to re-sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of course, it was strongly believed he would sign with the Steelers at this time last season, though he didn’t agree to terms with Pittsburgh until June 6, 2025, weeks after the schedule release. After Rodgers spent the previous two seasons with the New York Jets, it’s been reported that the NFL really wanted to make Steelers at Jets its Week 1 “Monday Night Football” game last season — but with Rodgers still unsigned, they made it a 1:00 game instead.
Still, the Steelers are a national TV draw regardless of their quarterback. Even before Rodgers was in the fold last year, Pittsburgh was given four prime-time games — one Thursday night game, one Monday night and two Sunday nights. They ended up with a fifth prime-time game when the Week 18 Ravens at Steelers contest was flexed to Sunday night. On top of that, their Week 4 game against the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland drew a national audience on Sunday morning.
Based on their list of opponents for 2026, there are two possible international games the Steelers might get. They could play the Jacksonville Jaguars in London or the New Orleans Saints in Paris (though there are reports that it’s the Cleveland Browns who will be playing the Saints). On paper, Aaron Rodgers as the marquee attraction for the NFL’s first game in France would be a major win.
Of course, if Rodgers isn’t with Pittsburgh, a Steelers-Saints game would treat our friends in Paris to Mason Rudolph vs. Tyler Shough. Mon dieu!
The Steelers have yet to update their depth chart, noting on their team site that it will come “around the conclusion of training camp.” For now, the unofficial depth chart features Mason Rudolph as QB1, followed by 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard and 2026 third-round pick Drew Allar.
Who wants to see any of those guys in a prime-time game?
Chances are Rodgers will be a Steeler again and this is a moot point. But couldn’t Rodgers suck it up and spare the NFL schedule-makers — and the rest of us — all this agita?
