Of the Cleveland Browns’ three bitter AFC North rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers feel like the most gettable entering the 2026 season. With longtime head coach Mike Tomlin headed for the TV broadcast booth and Aaron Rodgers once again leaving the team in limbo on his plans, it feels like if there was a year for the Browns to finally start sticking it to Pittsburgh, it’s this year.
As Zac Jackson of The Athletic pointed out after the Browns’ Week 8 road game at Pittsburgh was leaked on Thursday morning, Cleveland may not only gain equal footing with the Steelers in 2026 — it might have a clear competitive advantage.
While the rumored 1 p.m. kickoff at Acrisure Stadium on Nov. 1 seems harmless at first glance, the significance lies in Pittsburgh’s travel schedule. The NFL announced on Wednesday that the Steelers will play the New Orleans Saints in Paris in Week 7 as part of the league’s nine-game international slate. If all holds true, the Browns will be catching the Steelers at an opportune time just seven days later.
Assuming this is true (and this account is really good), this is the week after the Steelers play in Paris.
— Zac Jackson (@AkronJackson) May 14, 2026
Last year, the Browns played in London then played in Pittsburgh the next week (and Gabriel threw a pass that went off of Bond’s facemask at the goal line) https://t.co/0lYFJ5xEhB
NFL schedule leak just turned the tables on Browns-Steelers rivalry
This Week 8 matchup would actually make a lot of sense for Cleveland, as the NFL put the Browns in a similar spot in Week 6 of 2025.
Cleveland had traveled to London the week prior to play the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, dropping a last-minute heartbreaker, 21-17. The Browns then faced the Steelers the very next week — and they didn't even get to play them at home. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel was sacked six times and the Browns managed to score only field goals in a 23-9 defeat in Pittsburgh. Rodgers added insult to injury with a pair of touchdown passes and a 115.3 quarterback rating.
To say the NFL owes one to Cleveland this year would be an understatement. This subtle schedule gift, if accurate, could provide the Browns a much-needed boost as they begin the Todd Monken era.
The Browns have been an AFC North afterthought since the division was established in 2002. Over those two-plus decades, the Steelers have won 10 division titles, the Ravens have won eight, and the Bengals have won five. The Browns have never won the division or hosted a playoff game since getting reinstated as an expansion team by the NFL in 1999.
Fans are hopeful that better times are ahead, with this 2026 season marking a clear potential turning point.
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