Steelers Exposed in Latest AFC North Noise

Should Steelers Be Worried About Where They Stand in AFC North?

Pittsburgh's roster was also ranked No. 19 by ESPN ahead of the 2025 season, meaning the team is no stranger to being overlooked.

The Ravens and Bengals ranked No. 1 and No. 9, respectively, last year and significantly underperformed those marks for a variety of reasons while the Steelers outperformed theirs, which can perhaps serve as a source of confidence this time around.

Putting Pittsburgh in the same spot it was last season is a bit curious, as the organization didn't suffer any notable losses beyond Kenneth Gainwell and Isaac Seumalo, both of whom have suitably been replaced.

Meanwhile, the Steelers significantly upgraded their wide receiver room with the likes of Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard in addition to bringing in a pair of quality starters in the secondary with Jaquan Brisker and Jamel Dean.

It's fair to circle off-ball linebacker as the team's biggest weakness with Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson returning as the starters for a third-straight season, though there truly aren't many glaring holes across the roster.

There's no telling how Mike McCarthy's first year as head coach will transpire or if Aaron Rodgers will take another step back entering his age-43 season. At the same time, Baltimore is also welcoming in a new, first-time head coach in Jesse Minter while Joe Burrow's health and the Bengals' defense are annual question marks for a Cincinnati squad that hasn't made the playoffs since 2022.

Baltimore and Cincinnati both having franchise quarterbacks is undeniably working against Pittsburgh, but the latter is otherwise right on par with its AFC North counterparts. The Steelers don't have to be lauded as favorites in the division, but there isn't much of a gap separating them from either the Ravens or Bengals, if at all.