The Pittsburgh Steelers won’t have much time to rest after this year’s transatlantic journey, unlike the last two times they played in Europe.
Both a year ago and in 2013, the Steelers received a bye in the week immediately after their international game, but that won’t be the case this year. This time, they’ll play the New Orleans Saints in Paris on Oct. 25 before returning home to face the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium on Nov. 1.
That means two games in eight days — which is the norm — but the games are separated by 3,900 miles, one ocean and six time zones. Yet that hurried schedule doesn’t mean the Steelers are doomed to lose to the Browns. In fact, teams in the Steelers’ situation have returned home to win more often than they’ve lost.
There are a record number of international games this season with nine spread across seven countries. Joining Paris as host cities are London, Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, Munich and Rio de Janeiro. The NFL announced the entire 2026 schedule Thursday night.
Why are some teams welcomed home from abroad with byes while others are not? NFL.com senior researcher Ben McWilliams wrote on the league website Thursday that “teams typically can choose to serve their bye week immediately following an international game.”
In all, 16 teams will leave the United States for an international game next season. McWilliams noted how only three “decided to have a bye” the week they return home: the Saints, New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars.
In years past, byes were more common after international trips. In the last four seasons, 22 of 45 teams returned home to a bye. Last year that list included the Steelers, who had their bye immediately after traveling home from Dublin.
This year, they’ll wait one additional week. After playing the Browns, they are off in Week 10.
How much the bye matters is debatable. Since the NFL started scheduling international games in 2005, teams that played in the week after returning home had a 27-21 record, according to NFL.com. Meanwhile, teams that returned home to a bye went 36-39-1 after taking a week off.
Two of the Steelers’ opponents will be coming off international games without a bye.
The Indianapolis Colts visit Pittsburgh on Oct. 11, a week after playing the Washington Commanders in London. The Cincinnati Bengals host the Steelers on Nov. 15, a week after facing the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid.
This will be the third time the Steelers play a regular-season game in Europe.
In 2013, the Steelers lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 34-27, at London’s Wembley Stadium and returned home to a bye. The following week, they defeated the New York Jets, 19-6, at MetLife Stadium.
Last year, the Steelers beat the Vikings, 24-21, at Dublin’s Croke Park. After a bye week, they defeated the Browns, 23-9, at Acrisure Stadium.