Aaron Rodgers stands tall amidst AFC North quarterback turmoil

Who would’ve thought that there would be such a dramatic fallout heading in and out of a Steelers bye week? Especially one that was slated early in the season during Week 5.

Yet, here we are, looking at the aftermath of the AFC North and the Steelers division rivals following losses by the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals. Only five weeks into the season, we can look back in amazement that the last man standing among the division’s starting quarterbacks isn’t the former MVP everyone thought it would be.

Instead of seeing Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow lighting up the field, 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers is plucking along, leading Pittsburgh to a division best 3-1 record. As the Steelers prepare to host the Cleveland Browns this Sunday, let’s take a look at the AFC North’s quarterback situations and see how Rodgers ended up being the top dog.

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are the epitome of the old saying “if you have multiple starting quarterbacks, then you have none.” 2024 ended with highly compensated QB Deshaun Watson on injured reserve. While he’s still on the roster, an eventual NFL comeback is up in the air for the now 30-year-old passer.

Due to Watson’s status, the Browns went out and traded with the Philadelphia Eagles for a former first round quarterback, Kenny Pickett. Steelers fans know Pickett all too well, as he quickly fell from grace in Pittsburgh and was sent to Philadelphia in 2024 via another trade.

Pickett was the presumed starter until the Browns added veteran Joe Flacco during free agency, then drafted not one, but two more quarterbacks in the NFL Draft: Oregon’s Dillion Gabriel in the third round and Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders in the fifth round.

The Browns weren’t done, as an injury to Pickett sidelined him during camp, prompting the team to add former Baltimore Raven Tyler Huntley to the mix, for a grand total of six quarterbacks on their offseason roster. (For reference, many teams only carry three passers through camp.)

The lopsided depth chart was eventually whittled down to only Gabriel and Sanders, along with Watson on IR, Huntley, Pickett, and Week 1 starter Flacco were all traded. (More on that below.)

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are currently on an 0-3 slide after losing starting quarterback Joe Burrow during their second game of the season. Burrow, who was placed on IR with a turf toe injury, could return later this season.

In the interim, the Bengals rolled with backup quarterback Jake Browning. In three starts, Browning has thrown for 516 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. He has taken eight sacks during those starts, while also throwing two touchdowns and three picks, with another sack taken, in his partial appearance (and victory) against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Unhappy with Browning’s performance, the Bengals front office made a shocking inter-division trade with the Cleveland Browns for veteran Joe Flacco. Flacco, who was benched ahead of Cleveland’s Week 5 game, is now the presumed starter going forward in Cincinnati.

With Cleveland, the 40-year-old Flacco bottomed out with career lows in yards-per-attempt (5.1) while throwing two touchdowns to six interceptions in four appearances. His completion percentage was near a career season low as well, with 58.1% of his passes completed. Flacco also fumbled twice and was sacked nine times in those four games.

The hope for the Bengals is that Flacco operates with better talent around him, such as Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, as a life raft to keep their season afloat for a hopeful Burrow return.

Baltimore Ravens

The usually steady Ravens are also in a quagmire, as their former two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson has been sidelined. Jackson’s injury is believed to be less severe, than say Burrow’s, with Baltimore hoping Jackson will be ready to return within weeks, not months.

However, it’s been a rough start for the Ravens. Jackson’s numbers have been pedestrian at times, with no 300-yard passing game in 2025. He’s been sacked 15 times in four games, but has been stellar throwing ten touchdowns to only one pick.

Through four games Jackson had rushed for fewer yards than usual, carrying the ball 21 times for 161 yards and a lone rushing touchdown. The result was a 1-3 Baltimore start, which worsened to 1-4 when Jackson was ruled out in Sunday’s loss to the Houston Texans.

In Jackson’s place, backup Cooper Rush was overwhelmed, going 14-of-20 for 179 yards and throwing three interceptions. The Ravens will have to weather at least one more game, this Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, before they enter their bye week and reevaluate Jackson’s status.

Rodgers stands tall

After a rocky start where Rodgers was pressured nonstop, it appears the 41-year-old has settled in, leading the Steelers to a division best 3-1 record.

Rodgers has completed 68.5% of his passes for 786 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions through four games.

Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth must be thrilled with the emergence of the veteran passer in comparison of what Pittsburgh has dealt with over the last few seasons. After all, who would’ve guessed that in a competitive AFC North that Rodgers would not only be the last quarterback standing, but also the most productive, as the other teams all had losing records?