The AFC North has been one of the most competitive divisions in football over the last five seasons. There has been a bit of a quarterback arms race taking place with Joe Burrow emerging as a top-flight QB in the NFL, and Lamar Jackson having multiple MVP titles under his belt. The Cleveland Browns added Deshaun Watson two years ago, and the Pittsburgh Steelers further shook up the division with the addition of both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields this offseason.
Even last year, with three out of the four intended starters injured, the AFC North sent three teams to the playoffs, and every team was over .500 by the end of the regular season. So, who is best poised to win the AFC North crown in 2024? NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks thinks that the Steelers are.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers are the squad,” Brooks said in a clip of Total Access posted on X by NFL Network. “The one thing we know, the Steelers are almost always going to be in the tournament. That’s what they do. They always have winning seasons…and what they’ve done is they’ve been able to do a makeover while they can go back to the brand, meaning the guys they brought in – toughness, physicality, smarts – all work.
“Arthur Smith coming in as the offensive coordinator, helping them find their way. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields upgrading the quarterback room. New offensive linemen…The Steelers are ready to get back to their style of football.”
With the division being so tough, stacking wins within the division isn’t going to be a cake walk. The same thing was true a year ago, but the Steelers managed to go 5-1, with their only loss coming to the Browns at the hands of quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Still, the only major loss the Steelers suffered in free agency was trading away WR Diontae Johnson. In return, they got back CB Donte Jackson to help the defense out with Patrick Peterson and Chandon Sullivan off the roster. They also turned around and drafted promising young WR Roman Wilson in the third round to help replenish talent in the room.
Other than that, they have beefed up the offensive line, solidified the inside linebacker group with Patrick Queen in free agency and Payton Wilson in the draft, and bolstered their safety room with DeShon Elliott, who should help free up Minkah Fitzpatrick to make more of an impact.
The Steelers spent the last few years building a roster that can win without a talented quarterback. They now have two options that should be better than anything on the roster last year. They are also moving out of the dark ages in terms of their offensive scheme and creativity with OC Arthur Smith.
The offseason has been overwhelmingly positive, but that doesn’t mean you safely assume a better record than the 10-7 finish last year. The division is unlikely to see the type of attrition that it had at the quarterback position last season, and the Steelers have one of the hardest strengths of schedule in the NFL. But with all the positive changes, they are certainly in the mix.
“I believe that at the end of the year, we’re gonna be talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers being the cream of the crop in the AFC North,” Brooks said.
