The AFC North could be a pretty open division in the 2025 NFL Season. Let's make one bold prediction for each team.
We have seen the Baltimore Ravens really make nice progress in the AFC North in recent years, but you just never know - this division has gone back-and-forth at times, and if Aaron Rodgers still has some gas left, and the Bengals defense gets figured out, the division could be a three-horse race in the 2025 NFL Season.
No matter what you think about the division, the one thing that is true is how competitive these games are. The AFC North has historically been one of the toughest and most rugged divisions in the league.
Let's make one bold prediction for each team in 2025.
Let's make some bold predictions for the AFC North!
Baltimore Ravens - Lamar Jackson wins MVP and Baltimore wins division by multiple games
I guess neither is all that bold, but them happening in the same season and the Ravens being able to sustain this type of regular season success for another year would be outstanding. The team is again trotting out another elite roster, and the offense only seemed to get better in the offseason.
Lamar Jackson should have won the MVP in 2024 over Josh Allen, but I think the voter fatigue caught up with many of the MVP voters.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Steelers actually finish with a losing record and miss the playoffs
Steelers fans will try to hype up Aaron Rodgers, but what if he hits the wall in 2025? He's 41 years old and has not been nearly as efficient as he used to be, which is understandable. We'll make a bold prediction that Rodgers shows way more signs of decline and that the Steelers actually finish with a losing record and miss the postseason.
Cincinnati Bengals - Ja'Marr Chase has 2,000 yards receiving
No one in the history of the NFL has ever had 2,000 yards receiving. The closest was Calvin Johnson in 2012 with 1,964 yards. Well, Ja'Marr Chase is going to hit this mark in the 2025 NFL Season. The Cincinnati Bengals may again need their offense to carry most of the load, as neither Trey Hendrickson nor Shemar Stewart have a contract, so they could both not be on the field for a period of time in 2025.
And with both Joe Burrow and Chase each having the best seasons of their respective careers, 2025 could bring more success their way. Running back Chase Brown is going to open up the passing attack in a big way, and with fellow WR Tee Higgins not always being healthy, Ja'Marr Chase could have endless opportunities coming his way in 2025.
Over the final eight games of the regular season, Ja'Marr Chase had 991 yards, and that translates to 2,106 yards over a 17-game season, so it can be done...
Cleveland Browns - One of the Browns rookies ends the 2025 season as the starting QB
Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel will end up starting the final game of the 2025 NFL Season for the Cleveland Browns, not Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett. Honestly, one of the latter two quarterbacks could end up getting traded at some point, as it seems like there is a bit of a logjam in the Browns QB room at the moment.
While neither Sanders nor Gabriel is likely a franchise QB, they will get the last crack at it in 2025. This could set the stage for the front office to make a bold QB move in the 2026 NFL Draft, as they do now have two first-round picks thanks to the Jacksonville Jaguars.