Something feels different about the AFC North heading into 2025

The AFC North is historically one of the NFL’s most competitive divisions. The battles between the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Cleveland Browns are always physical. From an era of ferocious defenses to today’s high-powered offenses, AFC North rivalries have been must-see TV. Going into the 2025 season, the rivalries are beginning to die down. It’s no longer a division filled to the brim with fierce playoff contenders anymore. The division still occupies two of the best teams in the NFL, but the rest is not as feared, and the AFC North is beginning to fall off its pedestal as the league’s most dominant. Trevor Sikkema on Pro Football Focus ranked the eight divisions across the NFL ahead of the 2025 season. The AFC North sits in fourth place, behind the NFC North, AFC West, and NFC West. While still considered the second-best division in the AFC, the AFC North is no longer what it used to be. The Ravens and Bengals carry this division on their backs. Both teams were consisten