The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the talk of the NFL despite not playing in the Super Bowl. That is because of a stunning decision from long-time head coach Mike Tomlin, who chose to step away from coaching after the 2025 season ended. The Steelers quickly turned around and hired 62-year-old Mike McCarthy as their next head coach, marking just the fourth head coach to lead Pittsburgh since 1969. Steelers football has always been built on stability, and while many fans once wanted Tomlin fired, he ultimately left on his own accord, closing one of the most consistent eras in franchise history.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin meets with ex-Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy after a game.
With the Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots being played this past Sunday, attention around the league has shifted to both the biggest game of the year and what comes next for the NFL. As the Steelers begin a new chapter under McCarthy, broader questions about the future of the league are starting to surface. One of the biggest questions facing Pittsburgh and the other 31 teams is whether the NFL will eventually expand the regular season to 18 games instead of the current 17.
Steelers insider Brooke Pryor provided insight into that discussion after revealing what NFLPA interim executive director David White hinted at on Tuesday. While the idea of an 18th game continues to generate buzz, White’s comments suggested there is currently little appetite from players for another regular season expansion. For now, teams like the Steelers are left watching closely as the league weighs its next major move.
"Our members have no appetite for a regular season 18th game," NFLPA interim executive director David White said at the union's annual Super Bowl week news conference. "The 18th game is not casual for us. It's a very serious issue. It's something that comes out of negotiations, and nothing will move forward until players have the opportunity to account for all of those factors, take that into consideration and then through negotiations, agree or not to the 18th game. But as it stands right now, players have been very clear they don't have any appetite for it."
There has been a strong push from NFL ownership to get an 18th game added to the regular season schedule. From an ownership standpoint, adding another game means more revenue and additional money-making opportunities across the board. However, the added game also comes with inherent risk, and it is not the owners taking on that risk. It is the players.
Charles Krupa / AP Photo
Patriots Owner Robert Kraft speaks to members of the media.
Players have consistently cited concerns about injuries as a result of an extended season. Getting through a 17-game NFL season is already extremely difficult, and injuries are an unavoidable part of the sport. Adding an 18th game is not something players appear eager to embrace, especially with the physical toll the league already demands.
Patriots Owner Robert Kraft offered some interesting remarks that helped illustrate just how strongly owners feel about pushing for an 18th game.
"I want to tell you guys that we're going to push like the dickens now to make international [games] more important with us," Kraft told the Zolak & Bertrand show. "Every team will go 18 [regular-season games] and two [preseason games] and eliminate one of the preseason games, and every team every year will play one game overseas."
His comments gave fans a clearer look at the divide between ownership’s desire for expansion and the players’ concerns about health and safety.
Steelers Played In International Series In 2025 Season
It was an exciting time for the Steelers to play in Dublin, Ireland as part of the NFL’s International Series. One idea that has been discussed is eliminating a preseason game and instead requiring every NFL team to play one game overseas. While that concept does not appear to be gaining much momentum right now, it continues to be strongly pushed by ownership.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks on with intense focus in street clothes as the team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Now, Steelers fans turn their attention to Aaron Rodgers’ impending decision, along with several other questions that will soon be answered within the organization as a new era in Pittsburgh begins to take shape.
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