My, how things have changed at the quarterback position in the AFC North in just one year.
The Steelers completely reshaped their quarterback room, bringing in a future Hall of Famer and former high-end first-round pick. The Browns added two veterans to an already strong room while saying goodbye to a fan favorite, and the Bengals adjusted on the fly behind the reigning NFL MVP.
That’s the NFL in a nutshell.
With the 2024 NFL Draft in the rearview and a few weeks between now and the start of OTAs, I thought now is a good time to bring back my yearly Rankings the Rooms: AFC North series, starting today with the Ranking the Rooms: AFC North QBs edition.
This series is where I take a deep dive into each position group for all four teams in the division and rank them from best to worst.
With some big names at the QB position in the AFC North, this should be a fun one to kick things off with much debate.
1. Cleveland Browns
After having the “worst” QB room in the AFC North last year in my series, the Cleveland Browns take a massive leap all the way up to No. 1 this summer due to the depth and experience in the room. Remember, this is about the depth, not just the starter in the room.
Cleveland brings back Deshaun Watson for Year Three. He is coming off of a major shoulder injury, so there is some concern there. He’s also been rather disappointing and has been nowhere near worth the trade and the fully guaranteed contract that the Browns did to land him.
But this could be the year Watson finally clicks for Cleveland. The talent is there, but health has been an issue, as has been the adjustment to Kevin Stefanski’s offense.
After seeing Joe Flacco go on an absolute heater last season, leading the Browns to the playoffs after Watson went down with a season-ending shoulder injury, the Browns let the fan-favorite walk in free agency. Instead of re-signing Flacco, who landed with the Colts, the Browns added two veteran quarterbacks, signing Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley, adding them to the quarterback room with second-year pro Dorian Thompson-Robinson behind Watson.
On paper, that type of experience and the skillsets that Winston and Huntley bring to the table, as well as DTR, is quite impressive behind Watson. Even if Watson isn’t the guy in 2024, the Browns could pull the plug and turn to Winston or Huntley, two guys who have won games in the NFL and can operate at a slightly above-average level.
This quarterback room is incredibly deep, and if Watson becomes who the Browns think he is, look out.
2. Cincinnati Bengals
The only good thing that emerged from losing Joe Burrow to yet another season-ending injury last season was that the Bengals found their long-term QB2 behind him. That would be Jake Browning, who went on a bit of a run there to keep the Bengals afloat in the playoff race before the boat took on too much water later and sunk.
Browning was originally the QB3 but worked his way into the backup role and had some success. He earned a two-year extension this offseason for it and has firmly locked himself into the backup role behind Burrow.
The 2023 season was mostly a lost one for Burrow, who injured his calf in training camp, didn’t look like himself until midway through October, and then tore a wrist ligament, ending his season. But, he should be back fully healthy now, has an upgraded offensive line in front of him, some added play-making in the backfield and another receiver to work with in Jermaine Burton via the draft.
Behind Burrow and Browning, Logan Woodside is the QB3. He has some starting experience in the NFL and in the now-defunct AAF. The Bengals know him well, too, having drafted him in 2018 out of Toledo in the seventh round.
If Burrow gets back to his star-level play, this group could push back to No. 1 next year. But the depth isn’t quite there like it is in Cleveland.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
Again, this is all about the depth of the room. This is not me saying Lamar Jackson is the worst starting QB in the AFC North. Far from it. While there are questions about what Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will be in Pittsburgh, there is no denying their talent and experience.
Having those two in some order at the quarterback position on the depth chart just one year after looking at Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph is quite remarkable from the Steelers’ standpoint. Wilson is coming off of a solid year in Denver from a statistical standpoint, throwing for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns. But the Broncos did take on a major dead cap charge to move on from him.
He still has some good football left in him, I think. But that will need to be shown on the field. Fields had some moments last season in Chicago now that he was in the same system under the same head coach again, but he struggled to stay healthy and didn’t really show flashes until late in the season. With the Bears landing the No. 1 overall pick (from Carolina) and selecting Caleb Williams, they had to move on from Fields.
That worked out for the Steelers, who landed Fields for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Landing Wilson on a cheap one-year, $1.21 million deal and then Fields for a conditional sixth was a home run offseason at the QB position for GM Omar Khan and the Steelers. We’ll see if they are the answer, though.
The Steelers strengthened the room with the addition of Kyle Allen in free agency, too, giving Pittsburgh an experienced trio at the quarterback position, even if the trio’s ceiling might be limited at this point in their careers.
4. Baltimore Ravens
Having the reigning, two-time NFL MVP, Lamar Jackson, on your roster is outstanding. He’s arguably the best starting quarterback in the AFC North and one of the best in the NFL, period. That silly argument has been put to rest.
But the depth chart behind Jackson is concerning for the Ravens, especially after they lost Huntley to the Browns in free agency on a one-year deal. Losing him to a division rival and to a situation where he goes from clear QB2 in Baltimore to likely QB3 in Cleveland (and maybe even a cutdown guy) has to hurt.
The Ravens have some experience behind Jackson, though. Veteran Josh Johnson has been everywhere and done all that in the NFL. He’s played for seemingly half the league at this point and can handle any situation he’s thrown into. Former Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham is a very intriguing option at quarterback in the Ravens’ scheme. He runs very well, like Lamar, but has issues as a passer. The Ravens might even give him a look at receiver.
Then, there’s rookie Devin Leary, who the Ravens drafted in the sixth round of the draft. He has a great arm, but he’s undersized and on the older side. He might make a solid No. 2 eventually, but that’s not the type of guy you want behind Jackson right away.
It’s not a comforting position for the Ravens to be in right now at quarterback behind Lamar Jackson. If he goes down at any point, Baltimore will be in real trouble.
2023 AFC North QB rankings:
No. 1 – Cincinnati Bengals
No. 2 – Baltimore Ravens
No. 3 – Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 4 – Cleveland Browns
