The NFL offseason is like a vintage Mustang idling at a red light. Full of potential, but nobody knows if it’ll roar or sputter when the light turns green. Aaron Rodgers, the league’s most enigmatic quarterback, sits in the driver’s seat. At 41, he’s as polarizing as a Cubs fan in Cardinals territory, balancing legacy and uncertainty. Meanwhile, the Steelers cling to hope like a kid clutching a baseball card, waiting for a signature that might never come.

Last year’s Jets saga felt like a blooper reel. A star-studded roster collapsing faster than a folding chair at a tailgate. Rodgers’ arrival was supposed to be the cure-all, but instead, New York’s season unraveled like a cheap roll of duct tape. Now, the NFL’s 2025 schedule looms like a thundercloud, threatening to drench teams in another downpour of brutal logistics. Will Rodgers’ fate—and the Steelers’ prayers—get caught in the storm?

The league’s 2025 schedule includes seven international games, stretching teams across five countries. But the complete schedule is yet to be released. Meanwhile, for Rodgers and the Jets, last year’s three-game in-10-days gauntlet became a blueprint for disaster. After a Monday night opener in San Francisco, cross-country flights, and a London trip, Gang Green’s 2-1 start dissolved into a 1-9 freefall. As Albert Breer noted on May 13, “I am going to be interested to see how many teams are forced to do what the Jets did last year.”

“If you look at the Jets situation last year, they had to play in San Francisco in the opener on a Monday night. That means getting back in midmorning. Like 7-8 a.m. on Tuesday, coming off of that first game because you’re going and traveling back cross-country from San Francisco to New York. Then having to play at Nashville. Having to play at Tennessee the following Sunday, and then having to play again on Thursday night,” Breer explained the Jets‘ plight last season. And New York’s 137 penalties and midseason coaching carnage (Robert Saleh fired, Joe Douglas axed) turned MetLife Stadium into a graveyard of expectations.

“It’s a business. And the NFL can do what they want with these games. I would say that there’s a point of diminishing returns,” Breer added. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers, playing through injuries, threw 28 touchdowns last season but often sat alone on the bench, stewing. One teammate admitted, “Big names and talent don’t guarantee wins. We’re Exhibit A.”

This year, six teams face similar scheduling landmines. Jets, Seahawks, Saints, Cowboys, Bengals, and Bears. The NFL’s global push risks player health for profit—a debate hotter than a jalapeño popper. Will Rodgers, now eyeing Pittsburgh, dodge another burnout?

Steelers’ waiting game: A clock ticking on Broadway?

Pittsburgh’s quarterback room feels emptier than a diner after midnight. With Mason Rudolph and rookie Will Howard as options, the Steelers linger in “Rodgers Watch” purgatory. Owner Art Rooney II insists, “We’re still kind of getting the same signals we’ve been getting recently that he does want to come here,” but patience wears thinner than a rookie’s jersey.

Adam Schefter speculates Rodgers’ decision hinges on June’s mandatory minicamp: “To me, you can’t miss that mandatory minicamp where you start gearing up. I guess you can, but that’s not ideal.” But Rodgers, who skipped Jets camp last year for an Egyptian vacation, dances to his own rhythm. “I’m open to anything,” he told Pat McAfee. “And attached to nothing.”

The Steelers’ Dublin game against Minnesota adds urgency. Without Aaron Rodgers, their offense risks being as predictable as a rerun of Cheers. But waiting for a 41-year-old QB with off-field priorities? That’s gambling with Monopoly money. Besides, the NFL’s schedule chaos and Rodgers’ limbo are two sides of the same coin.

For every global game spectacle, there’s a team nursing jet lag and regrets. For every legacy quarterback, there’s a franchise clinging to hope. As Hunter S. Thompson once wrote, “Buy the ticket, take the ride.” But what happens when the ride leaves you stranded?