In 2025, the Pittsburgh Steelers allowed things to come down to the wire but held on to win the AFC North. Looking to defend that title, they head into the 2026 season as part of a division that saw change at nearly every level. Pittsburgh was no stranger to that, with essentially an entire new coaching staff and several new players on both sides of the ball.

But former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum isn’t optimistic about the future of this Steelers team.

“I think they’re [Bengals] there with the Ravens. I disagree with Ben Roethlisberger. Like, you have Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers…They [Ravens] deserve a lot of credit. They attacked their weakness, which was their pass rush,” Tannenbaum said Friday on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike. “We’ll see how good Jesse Minter is, I think he’s gonna be a good coach. I have more questions about the Steelers, than I certainly do about the Ravens. Who’s their [Steelers] quarterback in a year?”

Tannenbaum is referencing a recent Ben Roethlisberger comment made that alluded to the Ravens’ future looking a little cloudy. Tannenbaum certainly doesn’t agree with that, feeling that both the Ravens and Bengals have more to look forward to in the near future than the Steelers.

There isn’t much to complain about Pittsburgh’s roster. The offensive line is young and has depth, and the backfield and receiver positions are each deeper as well. Defensively, Pittsburgh has depth up front and a few chess pieces in the secondary. Inside linebacker remains a bit of a concern, but it figures to be a strong unit overall.

Tannenbaum’s biggest worry is clearly the quarterback position. If one of Will Howard or Drew Allar can become that guy in 2027, it would solve the problem, but it’s not a solution Tannenbaum feels too confident in. Without a future franchise quarterback in the building, it’s understandably hard to be too confident about the Steelers’ future.

Yet, it’s not as if having Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson guarantees success. Burrow has some playoff runs on his resume, but the Bengals have not been successful the past few years, including when he’s been on the field. Jackson struggled with injuries last year, and he and the Ravens still have contract discussions ahead of them. With Cincinnati’s defensive struggles, plus the number of free agents Baltimore just lost, Pittsburgh’s overall depth looks encouraging in comparison.

It feels like every season, the Ravens and Bengals are both favored over the Steelers in the AFC North. Last year, the Steelers bucked that norm and won the division. We’ll see if Pittsburgh can do the same in 2026.