Rodgers Makes NFL History in Paris as Steelers Edge Saints 16–10 — But Defense Decides the Debut

PARIS, October 25, 2026 — FINAL: The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New Orleans Saints 16–10 at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, winning the NFL’s first regular-season game played in France. Pittsburgh improved to 5–2; New Orleans fell to 2–5. The result is confirmed by the NFL’s final game record.

A landmark touchdown — and a defensive victory

Aaron Rodgers’ four-yard touchdown pass to tight end Darnell Washington was the first NFL touchdown scored in France. It also gave Rodgers 540 career regular-season passing touchdowns, moving him past Peyton Manning into sole possession of third place on the NFL’s all-time list, according to the Steelers’ October 25 record report. The historic milestone gave the game its headline moment, but Pittsburgh’s defense supplied its turning point.

With the Saints threatening near Pittsburgh’s goal line in the third quarter, linebacker Payton Wilson intercepted Tyler Shough. New Orleans never scored after halftime. The decisive takeaway illustrated the difference between moving the ball and converting a promising possession into points: one mistake near the end zone erased a chance to overturn Pittsburgh’s narrow lead.

How Pittsburgh controlled the margins

The teams were tied 10–10 during the second quarter, before Chris Boswell’s field goal sent Pittsburgh into halftime ahead 13–10. Another Boswell kick made it 16–10 in the third quarter; neither side scored in the fourth. That scoring sequence, rather than an explosive second-half offensive display, explains why a six-point margin held.

Jaylen Warren rushed for 101 yards on 18 carries, and the Steelers limited New Orleans to just 18 rushing yards, according to Pittsburgh’s postgame report. The imbalance made the Saints more dependent on Shough’s passing game and amplified the cost of Wilson’s interception. Rodgers also completed a 51-yard pass to DK Metcalf, demonstrating that Pittsburgh could threaten downfield even while emphasizing its ground attack.

That combination offers a more useful reading of the game than the final score alone: Pittsburgh won with a functioning rushing attack, third-down execution and timely defense, despite scoring only one touchdown. It is a template that can win close games, although one performance cannot establish whether the approach will hold against stronger opposition.

Watch: Official Steelers–Saints Week 7 highlights

The NFL’s official six-minute highlights of Steelers vs. Saints cover this specific October 25, 2026 Week 7 game, including key plays from Paris. Video credit: NFL. Watch on the league’s website.

Why there is no embedded player: An exact-event authorized YouTube upload, its publication timestamp, embedding permissions and regional playback could not all be independently established. Rather than risk a broken, stale or unauthorized iframe, this article provides the verified NFL watch link. The linked league page may have location-dependent playback availability.

What comes next

The Steelers’ international win leaves them 5–2 entering their next scheduled game against Cleveland on November 1. The Saints, now 2–5, have a Week 8 bye before facing the Browns on November 8, according to the Steelers schedule and Saints schedule. The broader question for Pittsburgh is whether the running-game advantage that shaped its Paris victory can be repeated when opponents are less vulnerable on the ground.

Sources and verification

Event date: October 25, 2026. Final score and team records: NFL Game Center (FINAL, 16–10). Rodgers milestone: Steelers, October 25. Postgame performance and context: Steelers postgame reporting, October 25; Reuters, October 25. Official match footage: NFL highlights. No third-party video or thumbnail has been downloaded or rehosted. No suitable independently licensed exact-event featured photograph was verified for this article, so none has been used.

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