Ravens Named Losers in Steelers' Blockbuster Trade

The Baltimore Ravens have won the AFC North for the past two years and are looking to become the first team to ever win the division three years in a row this fall. Naturally, their division rivals want to stop that from happening, and on Monday, one of those rivals showed just how much stopping Baltimore means to them.

The Pittsburgh Steelers took the NFL world by storm on Monday, acquiring seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins while trading away safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Pittsburgh has added numerous high-profile veterans throughout the offseason, and this move is the latest indication of its all-in push.

According to CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan, that's enough to name the Ravens and the rest of the AFC North as losers of this trade.

"The Pittsburgh Steelers are seemingly getting better by the day as we inch closer to training camp, which is bad news for the rest of the AFC North," Sullivan wrote. "Over the last month or so, they've added a future Hall of Fame quarterback [Aaron Rodgers] and just now traded for a top corner and dynamic tight end to bolster the rest of the roster. Clearly, the Steelers are making these moves to seriously contend in 2025, which makes the road that much more difficult for their division rivals."

"While it may not entirely tip the scales away from teams like the Baltimore Ravens (the betting favorite to win the AFC North) or Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh is no longer a sure-fire win like they were when it was projected that Mason Rudolph could be their starter. On top of the division race heating up, Pittsburgh adding Ramsey and Smith could further put a dent in the overall playoff hopes of Baltimore and Cincinnati, and hurt the chances of any of them rivaling for the No. 1 seed in the conference."

The Steelers may have made all these moves to contend, but are they actually contenders now?

Rodgers is 41 years old, and he only has one proven receiver to throw to in newcomer DK Metcalf and a subpar offensive line in front of him. On defense, the loss of Fitzpatrick leaves them very thin at safety. Worst of all, star edge rusher T.J. Watt is unhappy with his contract situation and the Steelers have teams asking about potential trades.

Yes, there's a lot of talent on their roster, but there's also a ton of questions the Steelers have to address. With them losing their past six playoff games and not winning one since 2016, it's tough to call them actual contenders at this time.

For now, the Ravens' place atop the AFC North looks mostly secure, though they'll definitely have to earn their third straight division title.