The more things change, the more they stay the same.
That continues to be the case in the AFC North at the most important position in sports.
The division saw a lot of change this offseason with head coaches Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski departing through either resignation (Tomlin) or firing (Harbaugh and Stefanski). Pittsburgh continues to wait on a decision from Aaron Rodgers, too, just like last year, and one familiar face is nearing a return to action on the shores of Lake Erie.
Yet, when it comes to the QB pecking order in the division, there’s a clear top two with the other two teams chasing at a large distance.
Now that the 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone, rookie minicamp is in the rearview mirror and there is roughly a week between now and the start of OTAs, I thought now is a good time to bring back my yearly Rankings the Rooms: AFC North series, starting today with the Ranking the Rooms: AFC North QBs edition.
As a reminder, this series is where I take a deep dive into each position group looking at all four teams and rank them based on talent and overall strength of the position.
Away we go.
1. CINCINNATI BENGALS
Yes, Joe Burrow missed a ton of time last season with yet another significant injury. But when healthy he remains among the league’s best quarterbacks. That’s not up for debate.
Last season, Burrow threw for 1,809 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions in just eight games. Despite missing so much time — which included both matchups against the Steelers last season — Burrow earned a Pro Bowl nod. When he’s healthy, he is elite. He showed that in 2024 when he led the NFL in passing yards, won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award, and finished fourth in MVP voting.
The Bengals beefed up the protection in front of him, and made major changes defensively, which should help them be more competitive in 2026. They’ll go as far as Burrow takes them though.
Behind Burrow, the Bengals brought back Joe Flacco for another season, making this by far the best QB room in the division. Flacco was terrific last season after the Browns shockingly traded him to the Bengals. He threw for 1,664 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions in nine games with Cincinnati.
Though the Bengals went 1-5 with Flacco as the starter, he played very well at 40 years old and showed he still has life in him in the NFL. That lone win came against the Steelers, fittingly.
Cincinnati also has veteran Josh Johnson and Sean Clifford in its QB room, giving the Bengals plenty of experience behind Burrow.
2. BALTIMORE RAVENS
Yes, Lamar Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP. He’s on a Hall of Fame trajectory. But last season he really struggled and missed time with injuries. That led to major change in Baltimore as Harbaugh was fired and offensive coordinator Todd Monken left, too, taking the Browns’ head coaching job.
Jackson threw for just 2,549 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2025. He also rushed for just 349 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games. Everything was down across the board for Jackson, even before the injuries hit. The offense felt like a chaotic mess, and that’s why major changes happened.
Now, he’ll work under OC Declan Doyle, who was hired from the Chicago Bears under new head coach Jesse Minter. The Ravens have added talent around him, too, including the selection of Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane in the first round. It seems likely Jackson will bounce back in his age-29 season.
Behind Jackson, the Ravens brought back Tyler Huntley, releasing Cooper Rush ahead of free agency. Huntley threw for 426 yards and two touchdowns last season, keeping the Ravens afloat without Jackson.
Baltimore also signed veteran Skylar Thompson, who spent the 2025 season with the Steelers, and added Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia and UConn’s Joe Fagnano as undrafted free agents. A lot of eyes will be on Pavia, a Heisman Trophy finalist who causes some headaches off the field but was a gamer on the field and only went undrafted due to his size.
3. CLEVELAND BROWNS
Where to start with this QB room.
It sounds like veteran Deshaun Watson has the inside track to be the starter following his recovery from a torn Achilles. He hasn’t played football since Week 7 of the 2024 season, but he’s owed a lot of money this season and might be the best fit in new head coach Todd Monken’s offensive scheme.
When he was last healthy, he managed just 5.3 yards per pass attempt and threw for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions in the season’s first seven games.
He’ll have talent around him offensively though thanks to some good moves from the Browns in recent years via trade and in the NFL Draft. But he’ll have some experienced competition behind him.
Shedeur Sanders played in eight games as a rookie last season and threw for 1,400 yards. However, he completed just 56.5% of his passes and had seven touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He was also sacked 23 times and had two fumbles yet somehow made the Pro Bowl.
With Monken, he gets a fresh start, but Sanders’ ceiling doesn’t seem all that high. Then, there’s Dillon Gabriel, who was drafted ahead of Sanders and started six games while appearing in 10 last season. He threw for just 937 yards but had seven touchdowns to two interceptions.
Cleveland also drafted Arkansas’ Taylen Green in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, taking a shot on a big, strong, uber-athletic quarterback, but one who needs a lot of coaching.
There is plenty of name-brand recognition in Cleveland’s QB room, but not much to be excited by entering 2026.
4. PITTSBURGH STEELERS
This ranking would be different if Aaron Rodgers were on the roster. Alas, the 42-year-old still hasn’t made up his mind regarding his 2026 plans, and it has the Steelers with the worst QB room in the division, and maybe in the NFL at the moment.
Will Howard a 2025 sixth-round pick has yet to take a snap in an NFL game. That includes preseason. The Steelers might be high on him internally, but he hasn’t done anything in the NFL to warrant that. He might get the chance to prove that this season though, depending on what Rodgers does.
Pittsburgh also selected Penn State’s Drew Allar in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, taking a chance on a big, strong quarterback with an elite-level arm but one who needs major work from a mechanics and decision-making aspect. If he puts it all together under Mike McCarthy, the Steelers could really be in business at the QB position, but he’s going to need time to develop.
Then, there’s Mason Rudolph. He’s the experienced veteran of the bunch, but he really struggled last season in limited action behind Rodgers and could ultimately be the odd man out. Last season Rudolph lost his lone start in Chicago, and was a mess in relief of Rodgers, throwing for 310 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Right now, Pittsburgh’s in a world of hurt at QB, and that might be for the best, at least for one season.
2025 AFC North QB rankings:
No. 1 – Cincinnati Bengals
No. 2 – Baltimore Ravens
No. 3 – Cleveland Browns
No. 4 – Pittsburgh Steelers
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