All signs had pointed to the Green Bay Packers traveling across the pond to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Ireland. That no longer appears to be on the table, but a potential alternative is even bigger.
According to Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, the Minnesota Vikings, and not the Packers, will head to Dublin for a matchup with the Steelers.
As one door closes, another could open. The Packers will play the Steelers in Pittsburgh, not Dublin, and avoiding the NFL International Series provides the additional flexibility of scheduling this game for the optimal time.
Aaron Rodgers taking on the Packers? In Week 1? In primetime? It just feels right, and you won't find a bigger matchup to open the season. The NFL, you know what to do. Make it happen.
The league will announce the regular-season schedule on May 14. We won't know the Packers' Week 1 opponent until then, but kicking off the year against the potentially Rodgers-led Steelers is too good an opportunity to pass up, and it feels like the obvious move.
Why the NFL needs to book Packers-Steelers for Week 1 primetime
It's important not to get over our skis here because Aaron Rodgers is still unsigned, but connecting with Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh remains a real possibility.
"He does want to come here, so I do think we may get word soon," Steelers owner Art Rooney II said during the NFL Draft, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor.
And if Rodgers is Pittsburgh-bound, the NFL needs to book in his Packers revenge game as early as possible. What a way to start the season. Two old rivals meeting again, but with a fascinating twist. Rodgers, a four-time MVP with the Packers, who won his lone Super Bowl MVP by beating the Steelers, takes on Jordan Love, the quarterback he mentored, and the team with which he achieved legend status.
Why Week 1?
Rodgers has battled injuries in recent years. He missed all but four snaps of the 2023 season after tearing his Achilles, and while he didn't miss any time last year, Rodgers played through knee and ankle issues.
Love also battled injuries last season. An MCL sprain cost him two games, and he had to leave two others early due to groin and elbow issues.
The best way to ensure we get both quarterbacks fully healthy and ready to go? Place it in Week 1. Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but it increases the odds.
And think of the storylines. Rodgers beginning a new chapter by attempting to take down the one team he has never beaten (or played). His former team. Love gets the chance to defeat his mentor and prove why he is ready to lead the Packers on a Super Bowl run.
It's perfect for Week 1. It has all the blockbuster storylines without having to give away a crucial divisional game.
The NFL might not send this legendary rivalry across the pond, but they should ensure we get Love's Packers against (presumably) Rodgers' Steelers under the lights in Week 1.