The AFC North has four legitimate head coaches. Let's power rank them ahead of the 2024 NFL Season. The Baltimore Ravens help open up the 2024 NFL Season against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Can the now two-time MVP Lamar Jackson lead his team into Kansas City for the win? Only time will tell. The defending AFC North champions will have their hands full in 2024, as the Bengals are set to get Joe Burrow back, and you just never know if Deshaun Watson will figure out how to play football again.
Let's power rank the four AFC North head coaches ahead of the 2024 NFL Season.
NFL power rankings: Ranking AFC North head coaches for the 2024 season
4. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
Zac Taylor still as a losing record as a head coach, but does have three-straight winning seasons after two-straight losing seasons to open up his tenure as the Cincinnati Bengals head coach. Taylor seemed to do quite the coaching job in 2023 after losing Joe Burrow, as the Bengals somehow finished 9-8.
The biggest thing for Taylor will be continuing to improve as a head coach and do do whatever he can do keep Joe Burrow healthy and on the field. When Burrow is on the field, the Bengals are nearly unstoppable, as they have a 5-2 playoff record over the last two offseasons, including a trip to the Super Bowl in 2021.
I just do not see a viable reason to rank Taylor higher. Shedding that losing record in 2024 would be a good start.
3. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
John Harbaugh has the most explosive QB in NFL history on his team and hasn't done a lot with him. The Baltimore Ravens were largely seen as the best team in the NFL in the 2019 and 2023 seasons, yet they have virtually no playoff success to speak of. It doesn't feel like John Harbaugh is going to be the right person to continue leading this team for the long-term.
I feel like he's hit a ceiling as the Ravens head coach. They won the Super Bowl back in 2012 but don't have a ton else to talk about since then. Nothing against Harbaugh; as he could be an upgrade at head coach for many NFL teams, but there comes a time where you max yourself out, and it feels like that's happened with him and the Baltimore Ravens.
2. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Tomlin has never finished with a losing record in his head coaching career, which is just an insane statistic. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers have not won a playoff game since the 2016 season. Pittsburgh has gone 0-4 in the playoffs since then.
They just do not trot out elite football teams anymore, and Tomlin's inability to at least assist in the quest to find a franchise QB has greatly impacted his standing in the AFC North. The Steelers may have the worst QB situation in the AFC North heading into the 2024 NFL Season.
1. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
The more I think about, the more I am sold on Kevin Stefanski being the best head coach in the NFL. He's done more with less, and is someone that I would simply trust over the other three. He's now a two-time coach of the year and really settled into his own in 2023. Even with the up and down QB play, Stefanski helped lead the Cleveland Browns to an 11-6 record and a playoff berth.
With guys like Harbaugh and Tomlin; they are both very good head coaches, but I feel like the game has passed them by a bit, and I would never doubt their ability to at least lead their teams to a winning record, but I do not believe you get much else with them outside of that at this point in their careers. Kevin Stefanski is the best head coach in the AFC North.