"Their sustained success for over a decade here -- Coach Tomlin's never had a losing season," North said. "The Steelers are always playoff-relevant late down the stretch, and they have a national fan base, so their body of work is what warranted the national television exposure for them, same as probably in previous years."

Pittsburgh Steelers executives aren’t the only ones eagerly awaiting a decision from Aaron Rodgers. The NFL schedule makers were following the saga very closely.