The NFL’s sense of humor is palpable through the results of its annual schedule release. Aaron Rodgers is still playing with the Steelers like a kitten swiping at a laser pointer, but the league’s scheduling czar, Howard Katz still anticipates he’ll be on hand when they visit Justin Fields and the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in Week 1.

"Their sustained success for over a decade here -- Coach Tomlin's never had a losing season," North said. "The Steelers are always playoff-relevant late down the stretch, and they have a national fan base, so their body of work is what warranted the national television exposure for them, same as probably in previous years."

The Cleveland Browns have added four quarterbacks this offseason, including former Steelers signal caller Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and 2025 draft picks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, but have yet to settle on a QB1 to step in for an injured Deshaun Watson.