Is there an NFL division brimming with more juicy storylines than the AFC North? The Pittsburgh Steelers are basically the talk of the league in their aggressive (or desperate?) offensive overhaul, headlined by what figures to be Aaron Rodgers‘ NFL sendoff. The Baltimore Ravens are eyeing a third straight division crown with a repeat MVP in Lamar Jackson. The Cincinnati Bengals are hoping star power overshadows contract drama (again). And the Cleveland Browns are prepared to carry four new quarterbacks into the 2025 campaign, including the talk of this year’s draft in Shedeur Sanders.
The real question is, which member of the high-profile quartet is best equipped to claim the division for itself? The Ravens have stood atop the North two years running, but three of the four teams have won the division title at least once since 2020. Unsurprisingly, that group doesn’t include the Browns, who’ve cycled through countless coaches and quarterbacks in their history, but hey, the NFL is an unpredictable business, so never say never.
Here’s one big reason each of these clubs can dream about winning the division in 2025:
Note: Win-total odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Baltimore Ravens
They’re still the most complete team in the North. Unlike the rival Steelers, the Ravens didn’t make any major splashes this offseason, but that’s partially because they didn’t have to. Lamar Jackson has his playoff hurdles to clear, but he’s still one of a select few transcendent talents at quarterback going into Year 8, boasting improved passing efficiency in back-to-back years.
His receiving corps may lack an alpha No. 1, but their attack has always been about controlling and spreading the rock, and between the bruising Derrick Henry, the speedy Zay Flowers and resilient Rashod Bateman, it’s no wonder they just won 12 games in spite of an unusually porous pass defense to open the 2024 campaign.
The best part about their balanced roster is the added upside on defense. Zach Orr’s group still works best when big men like Nnamdi Madubuike win the trenches, but the back end is ripe with fresh talent, from rookie Malaki Starks coming aboard opposite young star Kyle Hamilton to ex-Green Bay Packers All-Pro Jaire Alexander joining Marlon Humphrey on the boundary. There is some projection of durability there, just as there is with Jackson’s offensive front on the other side. But if their lineup stays intact, it’s just hard to beat their combination of talent and experience under a coach in John Harbaugh who’s been there, done that.
- Projected O/U win total: 11.5
- Our prediction: 12-5 record, first-place finish
Cincinnati Bengals
The ball is due to bounce in Joe Burrow’s favor. There are a few ways to look at this. Firstly, Burrow’s 2024 offensive showcase (an NFL-leading 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns) was spoiled by Cincinnati starting 1-6 in one-score games.
Therefore, should No. 9 even come close to replicating his aerial production while feeding Ja’Marr Chase, arguably the NFL’s top playmaker of his age bracket, the Bengals are bound to come out on the right side more often. If Tee Higgins finally stays upright opposite Chase, that’s all the more reason to believe Burrow is set for yet another MVP candidacy as a premier point guard.
Along with that, it’ll be hard for the Bengals defense to be much worse than it was in 2024. Trey Hendrickson’s ongoing contract dispute threatens to leave Cincinnati without its top (and only) proven pass rusher, which isn’t nothing. But this is a unit that surrendered at least 30 points in six different games, posting some of the ugliest marks in franchise history. If new coordinator Al Golden just brings them to below-average, it may well be enough to put Burrow’s fireworks back on a meaningful stage. The only other glaring concern is the team’s preparedness under coach Zac Taylor, who’s become notorious for slow starts.
- Projected O/U win total: 9.5
- Our prediction: 12-5 record, second-place finish
Cleveland Browns
Jim Schwartz’s defense could be among the NFL’s best. Let’s get one thing out of the way: If the Browns are going to make a surprise leap in 2025, it’s unlikely to come from Kevin Stefanski’s side of the ball.
Now, of course, that would be the dream scenario in Cleveland: a youngster like Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel or even former Steelers first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett emerging from the crowded quarterback room to show juice for both the short and long term. The odds are just stacked heavily against that scenario, not only because journeyman Joe Flacco is also onboard to collect snaps with experience in Stefanski’s system, but because the Browns are working with an aging, transitioning offensive line and a primarily second-rate skill group featuring castoffs like Diontae Johnson.
All that said, if Stefanski is just able to play conservative ball, he could also have suffocating defensive support to slow even the most dangerous of NFL contenders. Schwartz is a proven and aggressive leader on that side, and he’s got nasty blue-collar pieces at every level, from the ever-fearsome Myles Garrett and first-round interior man Mason Graham to rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger and No. 1 cover man Denzel Ward. Shootouts may not be their specialty, but a year after they opened the 2024 season on a roll, they could be even stingier thanks to the fresh legs in the front seven.
- Projected O/U win total: 5.5
- Our prediction: 3-14, fourth-place finish
Pittsburgh Steelers
They completely remade their offensive arsenal. To be clear, this alone doesn’t guarantee the Steelers are finally a lock to snap their eight-year streak of no playoff wins. In many ways, even their splashiest moves (i.e. DK Metcalf in, George Pickens out; Jalen Ramsey in, Minkah Fitzpatrick out) register more like lateral swaps than major upgrades. It’s more likely than not that, come 2026, general manager Omar Khan will still be searching for long-term answers at premium positions, specifically under center. Still, they did not stand pat as is typically the case with this franchise, and the biggest gamble of all — new quarterback Aaron Rodgers — should raise the ceiling of the entire group.
Is Rodgers the MVP-level playmaker he was when he bested the Steelers in the Super Bowl years ago? The eye test suggests rather definitively that he is not. Even at 41, however, he seems to have enough arm and touch to bring more zest than, say, the 2024 combo of a bottled-up Justin Fields and increasingly sluggish Russell Wilson. The key is giving him a clean pocket. The trainwreck potential isn’t subtle here, just as it wasn’t with the New York Jets when Rodgers tried to make that work. But Mike Tomlin’s defense is always scrappy enough to at least warrant wild-card consideration. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll finally have a modern-day offense — one capable of pushing the ball rather than just incessantly pounding it — to make January noise.
- Projected O/U win total: 8.5
- Our prediction: 10-7 record, third-place finish
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Author: Cody Benjamin
July 8, 2025 | 9:10 am
