Share 
Often considered one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, the AFC North fell on hard times in 2025. A division that has consistently produced multiple playoff participants and a Super Bowl contender, the AFC North was a division that seemingly no one wanted to win last season. The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers battled in the final regular-season game to determine who would win the division and who would be sitting at home, contemplating what they could have done differently. Eventually, the Steelers ran out 26-24 winners, with the Ravens missing a game-winning kick. That ended the Ravens’ run of three consecutive seasons of making the playoffs, and also likely contributed to the end of John Harbaugh’s 18-year tenure as the Ravens’ head coach.
The Steelers would go on to win the division with a 10-7 record, but were blasted out of the playoffs by the Houston Texans, 30-6, in the Wildcard Round. That made it five straight playoff appearances of getting bounced out of the Wildcard Round for the Steelers, which also coincided with Mike Tomlin leaving his post as the Steelers’ head coach after 19 years in charge. The mood of the AFC North this offseason was all about change, as the Browns also moved on from Kevin Stefanski after six seasons and hired former Ravens’ offensive coordinator Todd Monken to replace him. The only head coach to remain in their role in the AFC North was Cincinnati Bengals’ head coach Zac Taylor, which could be classed as surprising to some, as the Bengals finished with a 6-11 record, their worst since 2020, while missing the postseason for the third season in a row.
The Ravens were bold in their choice, hiring Chargers’ defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to take over from Harbaugh. Minter brings a fresh new approach to the Ravens on defense, while his hiring of Declan Doyle to be the team’s new offensive coordinator has been viewed as a move that could help get the most out of two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. Doyle was the Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator under Ben Johnson in 2025 and had a major hand in helping build and develop the team’s offensive game plan.
Now, he becomes the youngest playcaller in the NFL at 30 years old, hoping to help rebuild an offense that finished 13th in EPA per play and success rate in 2025, per Sümer Sports, and struggled with offensive line play, especially on the interior of the line. If the Ravens move was swing for the fences, then the Steelers hiring of former Packers and Cowboys’ head coach Mike McCarthy was a bunt. McCarthy has had consistent regular-season success at every stop, but doesn’t bring the desired new lease of life that the Steelers could have operated with. Under Tomlin, the Steelers became a very predictable and samey franchise. Of course, it led to a lot of success, but the flame burned out for the Steelers under Tomlin, even if they kept their record of 22 seasons in a row without a losing season alive.
That could change under McCarthy. The Bengals face scrutiny, too. Looking to bounce back from another lost season, the team has pushed the chips in like never before, trading their 2026 first-round pick for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, while adding Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe, and Bryan Cook, as well as 2026 second-round pick Cashius Howell, to a defense that finished 29th in EPA per play in 2025. Aspirations are high in Cincinnati, as they understand that they’ll have to take advantage of the timeline the offense is working in. Meanwhile, the Browns traded away Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and seem firmly content on nurturing a young roster while aiming to draft a quarterback in 2027. They’ll be more than just there to make up the numbers with a tough defense, even without Garrett.
2026 AFC North Odds
Despite an 8-9 season in 2025, the Baltimore Ravens enter the 2026 season as the clear betting favorites to win the AFC North (-112). An offseason dedicated to an organizational reset paved the way for the Ravens this season, with Minter, Doyle, and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver all brought in to lead the Ravens back into Super Bowl contention after an unsuccessful 2025. Not that the Ravens weren’t a contender heading into 2025, but an injury to Lamar Jackson that forced him to miss four games scuppered their chances—even when Jackson started, the Ravens struggled on both sides of the ball. Poor interior offensive line play wrecked offensive consistency, and the defense finished 20th in EPA per play. Improving those key areas would be paramount for the Ravens to bounce back. So far, the Ravens have checked the internal boxes. They brought guard John Simpson back to the team after two years with the Jets, drafted Penn State guard Vega Ioane in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and signed former Browns’ center Ethan Pocic to start at center.
Along with Ronnie Stanley at left tackle and 2024 second-round pick Roger Rosengarten at right tackle, the Ravens’ offensive line is a much better unit on paper. Translating that onto the field will be key, and if it happens, expect the Ravens’ offense to be firing on all cylinders—especially on the ground. The rushing combination of Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson has proven to be the great equaliser for the Ravens, and could be again in 2026. The future of the defense feels in safe hands, too. The Ravens vetoed their deal with the Raiders for Maxx Crosby, but eventually landed former Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, who has 81 career sacks, and welcomed back Pro Bowler Nnamdi Madubuike, who missed most of the 2025 season with a career-threatening neck injury. To wrap things up, the Ravens added second-round edge rusher Zion Young, former Raven Calais Campbell, and John Jenkins to the front, fully intent on pressuring the opposing quarterback more in 2026. The Ravens feel like real contenders again.
As do, potentially, the Cincinnati Bengals. The years coming off the Super Bowl appearance in 2021 haven’t been kind to the Bengals. They made the Conference Championship in 2022, but have failed to make the playoffs in three successive seasons. A large cause of their struggles has been Joe Burrow missing time. The former first overall pick missed seven games in 2023, before an excellent season in 2024, only to then miss nine games in 2025. With Burrow on the field, the Bengals can be one of the NFL’s elite offenses. His chemistry with receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins is second-to-none. Once again, that chemistry will be the driving force of the offense in 2026. The running game has improved over the last year, with Chase Brown adding an element of explosiveness out of the backfield, while the offensive line has finally become a strength of the team. The worry, though, remains on the defensive side of the ball. The Bengals hired Al Golden to replace Lou Anarumo as the team’s coordinator after the 2024 season, but suffered a similar fate in 2025: one of the league’s worst defenses.
The Bengals finished 29th in EPA per play in 2025, and have made uncharacteristic moves to improve the unit in 2026 and beyond. Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, and Boye Mafe will all add some experience to the defensive line—while Lawrence is still one of the league’s elite nose tackles. Leaps from former first-round edge rushers Shemar Stewart and Myles Murphy will be equally conducive to any improvements from the front. The Bengals’ defense doesn’t have to be a top-10 unit for the team to compete as Super Bowl contenders, though. The offense is powerful enough, a likely top-10, maybe even best in the league, unit that can carry the bulk of the load. The Bengals’ defense just needs to be closer to league-average. They’ll be the team to challenge the Ravens in the AFC North, looking for their first division crown since 2022. This could be the year they reclaim it, but so much of their hope depends on Burrow’s ability to stay healthy. If not, then there could be plenty of offseason changes in Cincinnati.
Spend $5+ Get $150 in Bonus Bets Within 14 Days
Plus Get up to $1,000 Deposit Bonus
Bet on All Your Favorite Sports With America's Top-Rated Sportsbook
To Claim: Click Play Now
The betting odds reflect a significant drop-off between the Ravens and Bengals as the main contenders in the AFC North and the Pittsburgh Steelers in third. That’s a slight the Steelers would take seriously. They’ve continuously found ways, seemingly against all odds, to battle their way into the playoffs, and to wade off losing seasons. That streak of consecutive non-losing seasons stayed alive in 2025 with a 10-7 record. However, it once again ended with another first-round exit in the postseason, which ultimately led to the team moving on from Tomlin and hiring McCarthy. The main roster decision that team made this season was bringing back veteran Aaron Rodgers for what could prove to be his final season in the NFL. Rodgers completed 65.7% of his passes for 3322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 2025, but rarely looked like a difference-maker. He finished the season 23rd in EPA per play, and his average depth of target of 6.37 yards was 42nd out of 45 qualified quarterbacks in the NFL, per Sumer Sports. Once a perennial MVP candidate, Rodgers is now 42 years old and unable to influence an offense the way he once was, and that limits the Steelers’ scope.
Especially with an, at best, average supporting cast around Rodgers. If the team was full of playmakers, there’d be more optimism, but so much of the Steelers’ cap space is taken up by defensive players. After all, that’s been their modus operandi for so long—gritty defense and making themselves a team that’s hard to play against. That was the case in 2025, but the defense finished the season 19th in EPA per play, taking a significant step back from their top-10 finish in 2024. It could be a blip, but it could also be a sign that this iteration of the Steelers is an aging unit. Big-hitters T.J. Watt, Jalen Ramsey, and Cam Heyward are all in their thirties and in the twilight of their careers, and replacing their contributions will be tough. Tomlin’s Steelers ability to grind it out became their calling card, but can that continue with McCarthy leading the team? He’s proven to be a winner, but the Steelers just feel like a team on the precipice of a downward spiral.
At the bottom of the AFC North totem pole is the Cleveland Browns. After six years under the guidance of Kevin Stefanski, in one of the team’s most successful periods in recent history, the team moved on from the two-time Coach of the Year this offseason, hiring former offensive coordinator Todd Monken to be the team’s next head coach. Monken has had extensive experience coaching in the NFL, but this will be his first full whack at a head coaching role—and Monken will have his work cut out.
The Browns’ big storyline of the summer was trading away Myles Garrett to the Rams for Jared Verse and three picks, including a 2027 first-round pick. That makes the defense weaker, but Verse is still a big-time player and someone who is still ascending. As a whole, the Browns’ defense can still be a league-average, maybe even above-average unit, but the ceiling on their season will be brutally lowered by an offense that lacks a true option at quarterback. Returning quarterback Deshaun Watson hasn’t played good football in over five years and is working back from two torn Achilles injuries. If Watson doesn’t start, then the honor will fall to 2025 fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders, who started seven games in his rookie season. Sanders led the Browns to a 3-4 record, but played some of the worst football in the NFL during that run.
His 56.6% completion rate was last in the league among quarterbacks with 100 snaps, and Sanders finished 43rd out of 45 quarterbacks in EPA per play. Try as they may, the Browns shouldn’t make Sanders the answer to their questions, even if the goal is to compete for a top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. There are some compelling pieces on the offensive side of the ball in Cleveland. In the last two drafts, they’ve added Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin, KC Concepcion, and Denzel Boston to their skill position groups, and there’s more upside now than before. But the Browns don’t have the infrastructure or quarterback to unlock it yet. They’ll sit at the bottom of the AFC North standings once again, while the Ravens and Bengals battle it out for the top spot. Ultimately, the division feels like it’ll belong to the Ravens once again in 2026.
Best Bet: Baltimore Ravens
2026 AFC North MVP Contenders, Odds
- Lamar Jackson (QB, Ravens)
- Joe Burrow (QB, Bengals)
- Derrick Henry (RB, Ravens)
- Ja’Marr Chase (WR, Bengals)
- Aaron Rodgers (QB, Steelers)
- Trey Hendrickson (EDGE, Ravens)
- Tee Higgins (WR, Bengals)
The two major MVP candidates in the AFC North are two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Lamar Jackson is a two-time MVP and a unanimous MVP winner in 2019. He’s also a three-time First-Team All-Pro. The accolades are endless, and Jackson has solidified himself as one of the best quarterbacks of his generation and a player who could feasibly find his way into the Hall of Fame when his career comes to a close. For now, though, the goal for Jackson, and the Ravens, is simple: postseason success. The Ravens have made the postseason five times with Jackson as the full-time starter, but have progressed to the AFC Conference Championship just once, back in 2023 when they lost 17-10 to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Any bounce-back in 2026 for the Ravens is tied to Jackson. The All-Pro quarterback is one of the best in the NFL when healthy, but battled injuries in 2025, which directly led to the Ravens missing the postseason. Jackson has improved in all areas. He’s more accurate, can target all areas of the field, and navigates the pocket well, all while retaining his dual-threat ability. His +800 odds to win MVP are second, behind only Josh Allen, for a reason. He remains an alien. A true force multiplier, and someone who’ll challenge for the MVP award every year.
What could count against Jackson is the fact that he’s already won the award. Narrative is so often a major factor for voters, and there could be an element of freshening the playing field. That opens the door for Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow. The former first-overall pick has never won the MVP award in his six seasons in the NFL, and finished fourth in voting twice. He’s also a two-time Comeback Player of the Year. Burrow, like Jackson, is one of the league’s top quarterbacks. He’s accurate in the pocket, and smart and savvy enough to make plays out of the pocket.
All in all, Burrow is consistently viewed as a top guy. But it’s never led to individual success. That could change in 2026. Burrow enters the preseason fully healthy and with one of the best supporting casts in the NFL around him. The receiving duo of Chase and Higgins is arguably the best in the NFL; Chase Brown has taken a leap as a top running back, and crucially, the offensive line is in a better spot after years of letting Burrow take a beating. The Bengals also have the third-easiest schedule to contend with in the league. That could bode well for Burrow putting up the necessary numbers and racking up the wins for the Bengals. An AFC North win and Burrow putting together a strong individual season is totally plausible, as reflected by his +850 odds to win the MVP award.
Further afield, Aaron Rodgers is a +10000 bet to win the MVP. Rodgers was a four-time MVP winner with the Packers but hasn’t come close to that level of play with the Jets or Steelers in the last few years. The ship has likely sailed on him being considered one of the top 16 quarterbacks in the league, let alone an MVP candidate at 42 years old. Stranger things have happened, barely, but an MVP resurgence for Rodgers with this Steelers team in 2026 seems far-fetched.
It would be more compelling if a non-quarterback were in the race for the award, and both Derrick Henry and Ja’Marr Chase both have cases to be one of those players if such an event occurred. Henry has finished as high as ninth in MVP voting in his career, while Chase finished eighth in 2024. If either Henry or Chase is playing at an elite level in 2026, there’s a chance that their quarterbacks will be, too, especially in the case of Chase. That would significantly hurt their MVP chances, but if the league’s voters ever stray away from the notion that the MVP award is only for quarterbacks, then these two superhumans would be in the running.
Best Bet: Joe Burrow
Which 2026 AFC North Team Will Reach The Playoffs?
Final Standings Prediction
- Baltimore Ravens (13-4)
- Cincinnati Bengals (12-5)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (7-10)
- Cleveland Browns (4-13)
After just one team represented the AFC North in the postseason last year, the first time since 2019, there’s a high chance that there’ll be two playoff teams from the division in 2026: the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals. The two potential juggernauts with two elite quarterbacks will go head-to-head for the top spot in the AFC North, but the reality is one of these teams will have to settle for one of the three Wildcard spots in the AFC. The Bengals have the easier strength of schedule, but there are still some question marks about the defense and how it’ll take shape in 2026. The same could be said about the Ravens, but we’ve seen the defense be good recently, and it’s more likely they’ll be a much better unit than the Bengals in 2026—and that could be the deciding factor in who wins the AFC North. Regardless of the circumstances, the Bengals feel poised to put their short playoff drought to bed and finally contend for a deep postseason run with one of the league’s top offenses.
On the other side of the coin, the Steelers and Browns could struggle in 2026. The Steelers’ projected record of 7-10 would be their first losing record since 2003, snapping their long streak. It might not be wise to write off the Steelers, but with a declining 42-year-old quarterback, an aging defense, and an offense that doesn’t have a ton of weapons or explosiveness, it’s hard to keep believing in their ability to pull miracles out of a hat. Their time might truly be up in Mike McCarthy’s first season in charge. The Browns’ playoff odds are predictably among the longest in the league (+570). They’re, once again, a team in a transitional period with their eyes more locked onto 2027 as opposed to this season. They could be a tough team to beat, but a playoff-hopeful team feels a step too far.
Photo Credit: REUTERS
