Though not yet official, the Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly intend to sign QB Russell Wilson in the new league year. Adding him gives the AFC North the most stacked collection of quarterbacks in the NFL. The Baltimore Ravens boast two-time MVP Lamar Jackson while Joe Burrow has taken the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl. The Cleveland Browns’ Deshaun Watson has an impressive resume, though he has a murky future.
Granted, we don’t know which Russell Wilson shows up to Pittsburgh this year. He put up good numbers during the 2023 season for the Denver Broncos, but he still had a losing record. The Steelers faced the opposite problem, however, and Denver wasn’t losing because of Wilson. He should, in theory, improve their chances of competing with top offenses, which is a good thing in the North.
Other divisions have an impressive assemblage of talent, but none quite as deep from top to bottom. The AFC East has Josh Allen, Tua Tagovailoa, and Aaron Rodgers, but the New England Patriots are an empty void. The South may have the youngest group with 2023 rookies C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Will Levis. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence, a former first-overall pick, is the most accomplished.
The West has the luxury of housing Patrick Mahomes, and Justin Herbert is skilled, but the Raiders and Broncos effectively don’t have starters after releasing Jimmy Garoppolo and Wilson, respectively. The NFC East has Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts, but also Daniel Jones and (perhaps) Sam Howell.
Will Kirk Cousins return to Minnesota or Justin Fields remain in Chicago? The Bears are likely to draft a quarterback first overall, but the Packers have Jordan Love and Detroit has Jared Goff. Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford, and Geno Smith offer an interesting cross section in the West—and then there’s Kyler Murray.
Finally, there’s the South, with Baker Mayfield returning to Tampa Bay, so it seems. The Panthers have 2023 rookie Bryce Young coming off a shaky campaign. Do the Falcons stick with Desmond Ridder or the Saints with Derek Carr?
I think we can easily argue the AFC North’s quarterback group is the strongest from top to bottom. Three of the four teams already made the playoffs a year ago, the Bengals even managing to finish with a winning record despite being without Burrow for much of the year.
Wilson still managed to throw 26 touchdown passes last year while protecting the ball reasonably well, ignoring the fumbles. He still has something in the tank while Jackson and Burrow are at or near their primes. Watson is a bit of a wild card in the group, but the Browns went 5-1 with him on the field.
Last year, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin basically said they couldn’t compete with the division’s firepower. They stand a better chance of doing that with Wilson, but they still must run the ball and play defense.
