Few divisions in the NFL have more story lines heading into the offseason than the AFC North.
For starters, how do the Baltimore Ravens get over their playoff hump? The Ravens are perennial postseason participants, but have gotten to the AFC title game just once in the Lamar Jackson era.
Then there’s the state of Ohio. The Cincinnati Bengals have a litany of high-profile stars to get under contract long-term, including receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase and edge Trey Hendrickson. With the Cleveland Browns, at what point do general manager Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski insert a new quarterback into the fold, supplanting Deshaun Watson?
And, lastly, do the Pittsburgh Steelers try to make another run with the same roster, or blow things up and rebuild with coach Mike Tomlin at the epicenter of it all?
Let’s start in Charm City, where the Ravens are trying to go from contender to champion.
Baltimore Ravens: Add another edge rusher to the mix
The Ravens have a pair of quality edge rushers, but they don’t have much in the way of depth and more long-term security.
Baltimore got 22.5 sacks from the combination of Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy last season, one of the better totals in the league for any tandem. However, the Ravens have each of them under contract for only one more year, with Oweh playing out his fifth-year option while Van Noy will turn 34 years old in March.
For general manager Eric DeCosta, it’s paramount he starts looking for Van Noy’s replacement and maybe even a secondary edge rusher, whether Oweh comes back on a long-term deal. Baltimore has long been one of the better pass defenses in the league, but struggled in 2024 by ranking 31st, better than only the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Oweh and Van Noy give the Ravens some time to develop young pass rushers off the edge, but DeCosta should start investing now.
Cincinnati Bengals: Get the stars signed … finally
Of all the AFC teams, the Bengals might have both the easiest and most challenging goals ahead of them. In short, sign three of the league’s best players before training camp begins.
Cincinnati has long been known for having short arms and deep pockets, something that has caused consternation for fans, agents and players over the years. Now, the Bengals are likely going to use the franchise tag on Higgins for a second consecutive offseason while attempting to work out a long-term pact. Then there’s Chase, who won the NFL’s triple crown for receivers in 2024 with 127 catches, 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns. He’s going to demand a market-setting deal, and rightfully so.
Defensively, Hendrickson demanded a trade last offseason, then relented and led the NFL with 17.5 sacks, earning first-team All-Pro honors. Although he’s 30 years old, his next contract will be sizable as well.
In short, Cincinnati owner Mike Brown will need to open up his wallet in a way he’s not done for a nonquarterback before. Three times.
Cleveland Browns: Turn the page on Deshaun Watson
In the 105-year history of the NFL, there’s never been a bigger catastrophe of a transaction than the Browns’ acquisition of Watson.
After trading three first-round picks and then some to the Houston Texans for Watson, Berry has watched his move turn into an irretrievable disaster. In three seasons with Cleveland, Watson has played in only 19 games, thrown 19 touchdown passes and won just nine games. Now, recovering from a torn Achilles, he could miss most or all of the 2025 season while sporting a league-high $72.9 million cap hit each of the next two years.
With Watson on the shelf, perhaps forever as far as the Browns go, Berry must find his successor. With the No. 2 pick, Cleveland could have its pick of either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, and at the very least have one at their fingertips.
Does Berry make a play for one of the high profile rookies or a veteran such as Kirk Cousins, who played under Stefanski when both were in Minnesota? It’s a fascinating situation.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Explore trades for T.J. Watt and George Pickens
This might be wishful thinking, but the Steelers should be looking at blowing up their roster.
Yes, Pittsburgh made it into the playoffs last season, but then gave up more than 300 rushing yards in a blowout loss to the Ravens in the wild-card round. The Steelers also collapsed down the stretch, losing their final four games to the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Bengals and Ravens to fall from atop the AFC North.
In that vein, Pittsburgh has Watt and Pickens entering the last years of their respective deals. It makes sense to deal away both for the maximum return, considering Watt is 30 years old and showing minimal signs of decline, while Pickens has been mercurial and inconsistent despite obvious talent.
Pittsburgh should take the opportunity to rebuild its roster, look for a long-term answer at quarterback and reset for a real run in 2027 and beyond.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as One Move Every AFC North Team Should Make in 2025.
