Its’ been a few years since the Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC North. It last happened in 2020, and since then, the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens have each won the division twice. As a dramatic offseason showed, the Steelers are making every move they can to get back into that race. According to former NFL wide receiver Andrew Hawkins, the AFC North will be the tightest divisional race across the league. But with Aaron Rodgers, he thinks the Steelers have a chance.
“I like the AFC North,” Hawkins said Tuesday on ESPN’s First Take. “I think the Pittsburgh Steelers are a dark horse in the AFC. Because when you look at Aaron Rodgers, what he brings, and what you’re asking him to do, you don’t need him to be the Hall of Fame version of himself. Can he string together two or three games in the playoffs? I still think he has that ability. I feel like there’s three teams, that can truly, once they get into the playoffs, make a run at it.”
Aaron Rodgers is simply the next veteran quarterback the Steelers have brought in, hoping his experience can help end their six-game losing postseason streak. Last year it was Russell Wilson. Although things looked good at the beginning, the offense broke down as the season came to a close, and Wilson’s flaws at the age of 36 were clear.
With Rodgers, there is reason to believe things might be different. His first seven games were ugly in 2024, but over the final 10 he looked significantly better. During that stretch, Rodgers threw 18 touchdown passes and four interceptions and had a passer rating over 100 six times. With a lot of potential and youth on the offense around him, Aaron Rodgers only has to make a handful of key plays a game to keep things rolling.
In the division, the Ravens feel like the clear favorite. They’ve won the division two years in a row, but the Steelers weren’t far behind them last year. Before their five-game losing streak, the Steelers controlled their own destiny in the division. Even on the heel of three straight losses, Pittsburgh still had a chance to win the division in the final week of the regular season. It’s hard to imagine the Steelers got any worse this offseason, so they should be in the race with Baltimore.
The Bengals feel like a complete wild card. On offense, they have all the talent in the world. It may be the opposite defensively. Star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson is at odds with the team over his contract. The help they looked to put around him, Shemar Stewart, has yet to sign his rookie contract. The Bengals finished below Pittsburgh last year, and they don’t seem to have the help they need defensively.
That said, a lot of things have to go right for the Steelers to make a playoff run. If they don’t win the AFC North, they’ll likely be visiting the Ravens, Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. Their best chance to end their playoff-win drought might have to come with a division title and a subsequent home playoff game. That won’t be easy to do, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility for Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers.