The Pittsburgh Steelers surprised many when they won the AFC North last season. It wasn’t easy, with the Baltimore Ravens almost taking the division crown. The Steelers held on, but their season still ended in disappointment. They’re looking to improve upon that by making several roster upgrades and re-signing Aaron Rodgers. However, former Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress sees Pittsburgh taking a few steps back compared to last season.
“I think that they are the third-best team in the AFC North,” Burress said recently on his Up on Game podcast. “I’m going with the Cincinnati Bengals to win the AFC North this year… If Joe Burrow can stay healthy and win the division, in a strong second, I believe that’s going to be Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens…
“But for the Pittsburgh Steelers, I really just don’t think that just because Aaron Rodgers is coming back, Mike McCarthy is in his first tenure coaching in Pittsburgh, with the aging defense that they have with [Cam] Heyward and T.J. Watt, who is still one of the top five players at his position. I expect for them to go out and compete, but not to make the playoffs and make a run for the Super Bowl.”
The AFC North seems like a gauntlet again this year. The Ravens and Bengals each have franchise quarterbacks and Super Bowl aspirations.
However, that’s not the only thing that makes a championship contender. The Ravens and Bengals each have their own huge flaws.
Baltimore’s defense has been poor for the last few seasons, often holding the team back. Although new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter is a capable defensive mind, it’s unclear how quickly he can turn that unit around. This is his first time as an NFL head coach, and there might be associated growing pains.
The Bengals are even worse off defensively than the Ravens, and they lost star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson this offseason. Yes, they boast one of the NFL’s most talented offenses, headlined by Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins. However, their poor defense has limited their ceiling in recent years, and it feels unlikely that the issue will be fixed this year.
Injuries plagued both Cincinnati and Baltimore in 2025. That’s part of the reason why Pittsburgh was able to capture the AFC North title. With a new head coach, the Steelers could find themselves stumbling more in 2026. For all his flaws, Mike Tomlin was a floor raiser.
However, Mike McCarthy is also a proven veteran head coach. He had much success with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. Maybe the Steelers won’t win the division in McCarthy’s first season with them. They shouldn’t be written off, though. They’ve shown more consistency than the Ravens and Bengals, and that could continue in 2026.