maxx crosby
Getty
Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby.
Things in the AFC North just got all the more interesting, and the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ chances of repeating as division champions may have just decreased. In a shocking move, the Baltimore Ravens have traded for Las Vegas Raiders superstar edge-rusher Maxx Crosby, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The five-time Pro-Bowler will now face Pittsburgh twice a year after being traded for two first-round picks. New Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy will now have to create an offensive plan twice a season that can be geared towards shutting down the Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
Pittsburgh Steelers Have Experience Blocking Great Edge-Rushers
Myles Garrett
GettyThe Pittsburgh Steelers already have to face Cleveland Browns edge-rusher Myles Garrett twice a season.
Simply put, Crosby has been one of the best in the league since he was drafted out of Eastern Michigan in 2019. He has 69.5 career sacks, 133 career tackles for loss, 164 career quarterback hits, and 266 career quarterback pressures. There aren’t many performers like him off the edge at the present moment.
Now, in a division that already includes Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, along with future Hall of Fame Steelers edge-rusher T. J. Watt, Pittsburgh will now have to deal with another elite sack master. The only good news for the Steelers is that their previous experiences against Garrett could help give them a plan for Crosby. Since Garrett entered the league with the Browns in 2016, the Steelers have a record of 12-7-1 against Cleveland.
The problem is that the Ravens have been the Steelers’ biggest rival in their history. In fact, this is arguably the most heated rivalry in the NFL. After losing the division title on a last-second missed kick last season to Pittsburgh, which ended up costing former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh his job, Baltimore has decided not to mess around this offseason.
Steelers Must Now Answer Their Own Questions
Mike McCarthy Aaron Rodgers Jaylen Warren
GettyIf Aaron Rodgers returns to play in 2026, it will be his 22nd career season in the NFL.
The first and most important order of business for Steelers GM Omar Khan and McCarthy is to find out if four-time MVP and Super Bowl champion Aaron Rodgers will be back under center in 2026. While the 42-year-old doesn’t have the quickness to escape like he used to, his experience reading defenses combined with his all-time great talent are reasons enough for the team to want him back.
If he were to come back, the Steelers also possess seven picks within the first four rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft, along with over $46 million in cap space. This team can still find a way to not only repeat as division champions but possibly contend for a Super Bowl. Remember, the two things any team needs to win a championship are a solid quarterback and an elite defense.
If Rodgers comes back, that solves the quarterback issue. The team would just need to improve its bottom-third-of-the-league defense. Of course, there are smaller questions that need answers for every team, and it’s no different in the Steel City. But what is different is Crosby coming to the AFC North, and that is very concerning from a Pittsburgh perspective.