Just before the NFL is set to release the schedule for the 2026 season, leaks are rampant on social media. The Jacksonville Jaguars should zero in on one in particular.
According to NerdingonNFL user on Twitter, the Jags will tentatively play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night in Week 14. In case you're wondering, Nerdingon has a good track record of sharing schedule rumors, so you can almost be certain that his scoop about the Jags playing Pittsburgh is certain. Heck, he leaked that Jacksonville would face the Philadelphia Eagles and the Houston Texans in London before the league dropped the slate of international games.
And if this leak turns out to be legit, it will give the Jags a prime opportunity to turn heads across the league late in the season.
The Jaguars will tentatively play the Steelers under the lights of Monday Night Football
As of this writing, this is the only primetime game the Jaguars will probably get next season. Ideally, they should get three, two at minimum, after going 13-4 last year. But if this is the only one they ended up getting, it will be more than enough.
The Jags should have no trouble picking up where they left off in 2025, so they should be in the thick of the playoff race late come December. And if Jacksonville can convincingly defeat the Steelers on Monday Night, it will draw massive attention on its path to the playoffs.
This, in turn, would be huge because the Jags don't often get the recognition they deserve, even when they're winning. Beating a prominent club such as Pittsburgh, in a primetime contest no less, would remedy that. And the good news is that Jacksonville will have plenty going in its favor.
The Jaguars will have an incentive to defeat the Steelers on MNF
It's worth noting that the Jaguars protected their game against Pittsburgh. This is noteworthy because the contest could have been held in London, but they made sure it would be at EverBank Stadium, and Jacksonville has had a good track record of fending off the Steelers at home.
Pittsburgh made the playoffs last year but hasn't won a postseason game in nearly a decade. Moreover, Mike Tomlin is gone, and Mike McCarthy is now the head coach. Although McCarthy has had success with the Green Bay Packers and later the Dallas Cowboys, it's been a while since he's reached the Conference Championship game.
But even if McCarthy manages to get the most out of his roster, the Steelers have a gargantuan question mark at quarterback. Aaron Rodgers was supposedly going to sign with them, but as of this writing, no deal has been reached. If Rodgers doesn't return to Pittsburgh, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Drew Allar will be the options behind center, and none of them truly inspires confidence.
Sure, Pittsburgh has the pass-rush trio of Alex Highsmith, T.J. Watt, and Nick Herbig. However, Watt has been dealing with a myriad of injuries, so there's a chance he won't be 100 percent when Jacksonville faces the Steelers.
Meanwhile, the Jaguars have a top-10 quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. On the defense, the terrifying duo of Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker will be looking to make noise. If that wasn't enough, Jacksonville has a drive head coach in Liam Coen, who won't let his team get complacent.
When you add it all up, the Jaguars are in a position to make a statement when they welcome the Steelers in Week 14, if the leak turns out to be accurate.
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