Aaron Rodgers is finally a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It took a while to get here, but it’s finally official. Now, the Steelers have to show that Rodgers was worth the wait. If they have another year where they don’t win a playoff game, this entire saga may feel useless. However, Rodgers should give them an immediate upgrade at quarterback, something they’ve been desperately searching for. Despite that, analyst Craig Carton believes the Steelers still have no chance to win the AFC North.
“Are they a better team?” Carton asked Friday on FS1’s Breakfast Ball. “Yeah, 100 percent they’re a better team. Are they gonna win a Super Bowl? One hundred percent no, they’re not gonna win a Super Bowl.
Like everything else, let’s see who’s healthy at the end of December, first week of January, getting ready for the Wild-Card Round. Could they get there? Yeah, they could certainly be a Wild-Card team. They have no chance of winning the division. They have a very tough schedule.”
Counting the Steelers out of the race to first place in their division might not be a great idea. On paper, that feels like a safe bet. Even after adding Rodgers, the Steelers’ roster has holes. Their offensive line is young and largely unproven, and they need more playmakers on offense.
Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens look like one of the best teams in the league. Led by the phenomenal Lamar Jackson, the Ravens feel like Super Bowl contenders. The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t a team to scoff at, either. Their defense has issues, but Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins give them a high-octane offense that makes them a threat to win any game.
However, that doesn’t mean that the Steelers’ chances of winning the AFC North are zero. Look at what they did last year. With a ton of uncertainty at quarterback, the Steelers started red-hot. They were in control of the AFC North for most of the season until they suffered a late-season collapse.
Rodgers is probably an upgrade over Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. If the Steelers can be better this year than they were last year, why can’t they compete for the division crown? It’s not like the Ravens and Bengals are perfect. Baltimore’s defense struggled to get going last year. Cincinnati’s defense could only continue to get worse if it trades edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
Should the Steelers be favorites to win the AFC North? Probably not, but they shouldn’t be counted out, either. They’ve consistently been in the playoff conversation. If the Bengals or Ravens stumble at all, the Steelers will likely pounce on that opportunity. The AFC North is a competitive division. Even the lowly Cleveland Browns won’t likely roll over and accept that they can’t take the crown.
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