Pittsburgh highlights just how well Green Bay did hosting 2025 NFL Draft

Pittsburgh is a fun city, the weather was wonderful, and it was fun to hang out with fans from across the NFL as they alternately cheered for their teams’ selections and booed Roger Goodell. But mostly, attending Pittsburgh’s edition of the NFL Draft really just accomplished one thing: it made me miss Green Bay. Because the 2025 NFL Draft showed just how unique Green Bay really is.

Pittsburgh may be a fun city, but Green Bay is a city built around football. The Packers and the NFL had an incredible asset when constructing their 2025 draft setup that the Steelers just couldn’t match: Lambeau Field. It was the backdrop for everything that happened in Green Bay a year ago, both literally and metaphorically.

It loomed over the proceedings, a visual reminder of the history and magnitude of football in the city, in addition to providing key amenities as the draft played out; if you wanted somewhere to sit, there was essentially an entire stadium’s worth of bleachers at your disposal. And that’s not to mention the treat that is the Packers Hall of Fame. Even a franchise as storied as the Steelers (six Lombardi trophies is, of course, nothing to sneeze at) has a hard time matching that kind of feast for football history buffs, and there’s only one Lambeau Field.

The 2025 Draft was further enhanced by the Packers’ incredible Titletown District. Fan events blended seamlessly into the Packers’ existing fan-centric infrastructure, giving people plenty to see and do (and eat and drink) on site. The NFL would be wise to host future events with teams that have comparable entertainment districts near their stadiums.