The Pittsburgh Steelers fell just short of winning the AFC North in 2024. They led the division for most of the year but fell to pieces to end the season, allowing the Baltimore Ravens to take the AFC North. This year, the Steelers’ division looks just as competitive. The Ravens should be Super Bowl contenders, and the Cincinnati Bengals’ high-powered offense should keep them competitive. Despite that, former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski is picking the Steelers to win the AFC North.
“Baltimore, they’re such a good team, but I had to pick a shakeup somewhere in at least one of the divisions out there,” Gronkowski said Tuesday on Up and Adams with Kay Adams. “With Aaron Rodgers there, he’s still got a lot left in the tank. I feel like he’s kind of underrated a little bit just because of the stint in New York.
“But if you really look at it, he had great stats. It was just not a winning organization there. When you go to a winning organization like the Pittsburgh Steelers, and you add Aaron Rodgers to it, and you make those moves that they were making this offseason, and I went to high school there, I think they’re gonna do it.”
The Steelers are underdogs in the AFC North, but it isn’t so outlandish to think that they can win the division. They have plenty of talent, with their defense in particular looking like one of the NFL’s best units on paper.
This offseason, the Steelers made a lot of changes, including adding Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, and Jonnu Smith. They also drafted some promising young players like Derrick Harmon, Kaleb Johnson, and Yahya Black. They look like they can compete with the Ravens.
However, many teams have looked good on paper only to disappoint during the season. With so many new pieces, it’s unclear how well the Steelers are going to jell this year. There’s no guarantee that everyone will mesh together.
Rodgers could be the linchpin to the Steelers’ success. Quarterback is the most important position in the game, and Rodgers is one of the best ever. Unfortunately, he’s past his prime now. However, like Gronkowski says, Rodgers put up good numbers last season.
The Steelers almost won the AFC North in 2024 with a combination of Justin Fields and Russell Wilson at quarterback. Neither of them played great. If Rodgers can give the Steelers consistently solid quarterback play, they could make a real run at the AFC North title.
Hopefully, the Steelers prove Gronkowski’s faith right. Winning their division would be a nice feather in their cap before heading into the postseason and competing for a Super Bowl.
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