The Cincinnati Bengals project to feature plenty in the national spotlight of primetime games in 2025 when the NFL gets around to finally releasing the schedule.
And it sounds like a showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers could happen on a major holiday.
Speaking with Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, NFL vice president of broadcasting planning and scheduling Mike North suggested a Bengals-Steelers matchup is one possibility for Thanksgiving night:
"Dallas and Detroit are traditional venues for Thanksgiving Day, but that Thanksgiving night game moves around, and you talk about that Cincy-Pittsburgh game, that could be a possible home. Could the Bengals and the Steelers meet each other on Thanksgiving night? That's an option as well."
The Bengals have been sniffing around becoming a holiday staple during the Joe Burrow era. They even asked the NFL about being featured on the new Black Friday game every year.
So far, no dice, but that could change this year with the team hosting AFC North opponents and featuring other notables on the schedule such as the Buffalo Bills.
Beyond the above, North also mentioned the likelihood of the Bengals going international for a 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff on NFL Network. Whether that's in Dublin against the Steelers or something else, though, apparently remains undecided. Rumors circulated even by Burrow himself have hinted at a showdown with the Miami Dolphins in Madrid this year.
Overall? Expect to see the Bengals roughly five or so times outside of non-1 p.m. ET kickoffs next year before any flex scheduling changeups.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals vs. Steelers could be heading for Thanksgiving showdown
