The Pittsburgh Steelers are welcoming back quarterback Aaron Rodgers for one last ride in 2026...we think.
Rodgers is back in the fold for his 22nd NFL season, and considering the Steelers are the returning AFC North champions, you have to figure that his presence at least gives them a chance to compete for something in the 2026 season.
After taking a look at all of the offseason moves made by AFC North teams, and considering the potential of certain teams to bounce back in 2026, where do the Steelers stack up against the rest of their division? Our latest NFL Power Rankings will take a dive into the AFC North, specifically, and how each of these teams look on paper after the offseason.
NFL Power Rankings: Steelers look poised for regression in AFC North in 2026
4. Cleveland Browns
The Browns are going to be at the bottom of this division until proven otherwise. The good news for Cleveland is that we can see the vision, at the very least.
The Browns hired Todd Monken as their new head coach in the 2026 offseason, and Monken is going to make this a run-first team that will be physical in the trenches on both sides of the ball. And honestly, even with some of their quarterback woes, the fact that the Browns should be improved in the trenches raises the proverbial floor for the team overall.
Unlike some teams, the Browns don't necessarily feel like a team that is going to live and die by the quarterback position all season. Their run game and defense should give teams fits, and while the QB position could hold this team back, they can still be improved in a lot of other ways.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
The return of Aaron Rodgers is obviously huge for the Steelers and their 2026 hopes, but it doesn't exactly solidify this team's stance atop the division.
In fact, it almost means absolutely nothing at this point regarding last year.
The Steelers have plenty to be excited about this season with the additions of Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard to a wide receiver position that desperately needed a jolt, but there are also plenty of reasons to be skeptical.
Even with Mike McCarthy's track record (career win percentage of .608), the Steelers are in the first year without Mike Tomlin since he became head coach all the way back in 2007. Tomlin was the Steelers' head coach for nearly as long as Rodgers has been in the league.
The Steelers will still be a tough team with a relatively high floor by comparison to some other teams, but they don't look like any sort of lock to repeat as division champs with the upgrades made by other teams in the AFC North.
2. Baltimore Ravens
If it could hurt the Steelers on paper simply to move on from a head coach like Mike Tomlin, then there could also be ripple effects for the Baltimore Ravens moving on from John Harbaugh.
For nearly two decades, the Baltimore Ravens have been a model of consistency, and are typically considered title contenders in the AFC. That took a huge step back this past year as the Ravens' organization felt things had gotten to the point that they needed to fire their longtime head coach.
The health of Lamar Jackson plays an obviously crucial role in this team's contender status year over year. When Jackson is playing at the level we've come to expect from him, he's nearly unstoppable. And so are the Ravens.
But Jackson also can't do it by himself. This team was 30th in the NFL against the pass last season. The team's leader in QB hits was Dre'Mont Jones, who was acquired in hte middle of the season in a trade with the Titans.
The Ravens need Jackson to stay healthy, they need to finish better in the red zone (27th last year), and they need the pass defense to step up at every level. With Jesse Minter, you have to at least expect vast improvements in the defensive categories.
1. Cincinnati Bengals
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has said that this year's version of the team is the most talented he's been part of since he got to Cincinnati, and I tend to agree with him.
Even though you're just looking at a team on paper at this point, the Bengals have assembled a really strong core of talented players, and they added in major ways the areas they were the weakest in 2025.
Having a healthy Joe Burrow is mission critical for this team, but the Bengals added players like Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, and Boye Mafe to the defensive line, along with top pick Cashius Howell in the 2026 NFL Draft.
In the NFL, when you upgrade in the trenches, you raise every other area of your roster. Getting that type of talent for the defensive front pushes the Bengals right back into the Super Bowl contender category, and gives them the best-looking roster -- on paper -- in the AFC North for the 2026 season.
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