The Last Stand (2026 AFC North Preview)

AFC North football. Gritty, tough, back and forth, captivating. Amazing that this is the 25th season of these current divisions, but we all know that the AFC North is basically the condensed version of the old AFC Central. All four teams were part of the final iteration of the division, the six-team version that also included the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans from 1999-2001. The AFC North always has such wild moments, the latest one being on the 272nd and final game of the season last year, where the Steelers and Ravens battled it out in a "division or bust" contest.

So without further ado, let's preview the AFC North for this season, shall we?

Cleveland Browns (5-12)

I mentioned the AFC Central earlier. The last time the Browns won the division, it was the AFC Central back in 1989. The Browns clinched that division on December 23, 1989--10 days after someone named Taylor Alison Swift was born. Since then: four playoff appearances, two playoff wins, and a hell of a lot of embarrassment, which included a winless 2017 season. And it gets worse. The Browns chose to foot the bill for DeShaun Watson and his horrendous baggage, and that team is full of fans who are more upset that he can't throw a football anymore than the fact that his mentality is "No means yes."

They have Shedeur Sanders now at QB, and he's been a bit of a saving grace for them, but Cleveland will mess it up. The Browns will continue to be the butt monkey of the AFC North, and that team has no one to blame but themselves.

Cincinnati Bengals (7-10)

Yet another season that had fans and others saying, "If only Joe Burrow stayed healthy." The evidence is there. A fully healthy Burrow makes the Bengals a damn juggernaut. This team is five years removed from being in Super Bowl LVI, but it's been hell for them since then. What we've seen lately are campaigns wrecked by bad defenses, horrible O-lines, and injuries to QB1. Seriously, I feel like I'm watching the 2010s Packers.

There is optimism regarding the Bengals in 2026. They have Burrow, they have Ja'Marr Chase, they have Tee Higgins, and the defense looks like they can do some things right. Burrow looks like he's in amazing shape, and if that's the true case, the Bengals will be dangerous in 2026.

Baltimore Ravens (8-9)

Good news, Ravens fans. John Harbaugh can't hurt you anymore. They finally fired that idiot after a dismal season. But there is some bad news. Zay Flowers can still hurt you. They gave Flowers a four-year extension worth $36M/year. As soon as I read that news, I had one thought: "Lamar's never reaching the Super Bowl." With the exception of Derrick Henry, Lamar is surrounded by idiots. They could have easily taken that money and got Lamar an actual receiver. Instead, they overpay Flowers to drop more passes than AJ Brown does.

Last season was more proof of how very, very, very important Lamar is to that team. He was out for just one month, which isn't much, but that month made a difference. The Ravens can't match shapes without Lamar, and look at how mediocre the North was last year. Even with Lamar out for a month, the North was still so shaky that the Ravens still had chances to win the division. Even on the final week, Baltimore had a good shot. As usual, Lamar led them to a chance to win it in the end, and as usual, someone else ruined it for him. Tyler Loop hooked that kick, and he's the kicker because their longtime kicker decided to join DeShaun in the "No means yes" club. 2026 will definitely be an interesting year for the Ravens. Lamar always makes things fun and interesting.

Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)

Pittsburgh saw the end of one era last year, when Mike Tomlin stepped down as head coach after 19 seasons. This year will see another retirement in Pittsburgh: Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers announced during the offseason that this year will be his last, and well, it's complicated to say the least. I'm a Packers fan; I've said everything I needed to say about Rodgers. The clutch plays, the Hail Marys, Super Bowl XLV, owning the Bears, you name it. Of course, as we all know, there's the ugly side of Rodgers, and we've seen it play out massively. So yeah, it's hella complicated, but I hope that for once, the Steelers actually prepare for this unlike they did for life after Big Ben.

And it's fitting that Rodgers will have one familiar face with him in his final year: Mike McCarthy. Good grief. I said this before and I'll say it here: anyone would have been a downgrade after Tomlin, but come on. Going from Tomlin to McCarthy is like going from a Mercedes-Benz to Archie Andrews' jalopy (though, let's face it, I read Archie Comics. "Ol' Betsy" will get you farther than McCarthy will). I have a bad feeling about the Steelers in 2026, because Rodgers is too old to even think about carrying McCarthy one more time. I hope I'm wrong.

I am going to enjoy keeping track of the AFC North this season! I have a feeling it'll be nail-biting, wild, and truly crazy this year, and I am here for all of it!