Former Patriots OL Stuns NFL by Rejecting Five Teams, Chooses Practice Squad Path to Stay in New England

December 30, 2025 The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens will meet in the most consequential game of the NFL’s Week 18 schedule — and the league has given it the brightest spotlight available. Pittsburgh’s loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, combined with Baltimore’s win the day before, has set up a true winner-take-all finale. The winner will capture the AFC North title, earn the No. 4 seed, and host a playoff game. The loser will see its season end immediately. Following Sunday’s game between the Chicago Bears and the San Francisco 49ers, the NFL officially announced that Steelers–Ravens will serve as the final regular-season game of 2025, occupying the Sunday night primetime slot. Steelers and Ravens Under the Brightest Lights The league traditionally reserves Sunday night of Week 18 for the matchup with the highest stakes, and few rivalries carry more weight than Pittsburgh versus Baltimore. As Jack Markowski of SI.com reported, the AFC North will be decided in that final window. “With the AFC North on the line — where the winner claims the division title and the loser is eliminated from the playoffs — the two teams will play under the bright lights at Acrisure Stadium in the final game of the regular season,” Markowski wrote. “Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET on January 4, with coverage airing on NBC.” Baltimore enters the showdown riding momentum after dismantling the Green Bay Packers, even while starting backup quarterback Tyler Huntley in place of the injured Lamar Jackson. Steelers Questioned After Browns Loss The Steelers had an opportunity to clinch the division in Week 17 but struggled offensively in their loss to Cleveland. After the game, star edge rusher Myles Garrett suggested Pittsburgh appeared more focused on preventing him from breaking the single-season sack record than on winning the game itself. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was seen frequently accounting for Garrett, getting the ball out quickly to neutralize the pass rush. Head coach Mike Tomlin rejected the idea that the Steelers altered their approach because of Garrett’s pursuit of history. “We didn’t do anything against Myles that we don’t normally do against Myles,” Tomlin said. “The sack record is irrelevant. We have to minimize him if we want to engineer victory. That’s standard business when you play these guys — and when you play him.” Injuries Loom Ahead of Week 18 Pittsburgh will enter the division-deciding matchup shorthanded. Wide receiver DK Metcalf is serving a two-game suspension following an altercation with a fan during a win over the Detroit Lions, while star edge rusher T.J. Watt has missed nearly a month after undergoing surgery for a partially collapsed lung. Several other Steelers contributors are also racing the clock to be available. “Calvin Austin III (hamstring), Isaac Seumalo (triceps), James Pierre (calf), Brandin Echols (groin), and Darnell Washington (broken arm) are all working their way back from injuries,” Markowski noted. All of it sets the stage for a classic AFC North showdown under the primetime lights — a game that will decide not only the division title, but whether the Steelers’ or Ravens’ season continues beyond Week 18.