The AFC North may not be as good of a division as it used to be in 2025. Let's try to predict the divisions starting quarterbacks. There are truly two teams in the division that have some level of uncertainty with their starting QB position.
And this division may truly be a one-horse race in 2025, which is kind of pathetic and an indictment on how poorly some of these teams have been run in recent years. Without a high-end QB, no NFL team is going to sustain success in this league, and that isn't up for discussion.
Let's try to predict the four starting quarterbacks in the AFC North for 2025.
Predicting NFL starting QBs for the shaky and uncertain AFC North in 2025
Baltimore Ravens - Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson should have won the MVP in the 2025 NFL Season, but what do I know?
He ascended to a a new level as a dual-threat passer and seems to only be getting better, but can he lead his Ravens team to a Super Bowl title? That's the last piece missing here.
Cincinnati Bengals - Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow also played the best football of his career in the 2024 NFL Season, but a bottom-tier defense kept the Cincinnati Bengals out of the playoffs. When healthy and on the field, Burrow is a top-2 QB in the NFL, and sometimes the best the league has in a given week.
The Bengals are wasting the Joe Burrow era, as their cheap and outdated nature is beginning to really impact them.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Mason Rudolph
Will the Pittsburgh Steelers sign Aaron Rodgers? This is the biggest remaining question of the 2025 offseason, but at this moment, it does not feel like Rodgers will make the move to sign. I believe this because we are getting quite close to June, and who knows if the four-time MVP is even in football shape?
Playing in the NFL is more than just signing on the dotted line and showing up, and it seems like the momentum is trending toward Aaron Rodgers not signing. The QB position might then be occupied by Mason Rudolph, as rookie Will Howard could try and get up to speed behind the scenes.
Cleveland Browns - Joe Flacco
Until we hear otherwise, it is safe to assume that any of Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders are firmly in the mix to start for the Browns in the 2025 NFL Season. Well, of these four, Flacco is the best, and while I believe we see Gabriel and Sanders starting games for the team in 2025, Flacco might get the senior nod and get the first few starts.
It's also a lot easier to go from a veteran QB like Flacco to a rookie than it is from a rookie to a veteran. This could be a gradual shift in the Browns QB room, so fans may just have to be patient.