More Likely: Worst to First or First to Worst?
Definitely first to worst. Without the steadying influence of Mike Tomlin that they enjoyed for two decades, the Steelers are likely to experience some drop-off. With two other potential playoff teams in the mix, the only stretch down for Pittsburgh is finishing below Cleveland, while those same Browns would have to get past two teams with elite QB play, while they have anything but.
Hottest Seat?
Zac Taylor. This is almost a given with the other three teams in the division welcoming new head coaches. But having missed the playoffs three years in a row with a franchise QB in place (albeit one who’s missed 16 games over that span), the time is now or never to make it back, or Joe Burrow and the Bengals will have a new head coach in 2026.
Likeliest MVP Candidate?
As a two-time winner, it’s easy to default to Lamar Jackson, but I would actually give the edge to Burrow here. The Ravens are generally accepted as one of the stalwart quality organizations in the sport, and are rarely down very low or very long. Improvements are expected roster-wide and any rebound can be at least partially attributed to the offseason coaching change. But if Burrow gets the much-maligned Bengals back into contention where he had them a few years ago, plenty of voters will be eager to write his name on their ballots.
Fantasy League Winner?
Ja’Marr Chase. A fairly obvious candidate who’s going in the first round of every serious draft on the planet, but so long as Burrow is healthy, he’s a lock to get near-constant targets, and accurate ones at that. He could even challenge for the Triple Crown, which he achieved two years ago. As for his own health following a recent knee hyperextension in practice, it doesn’t sound like there’s much worry about him being ready to go for Week 1.
What To Watch:
- Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers have a long (sometimes rocky) history together, but one that includes a Lombardi Trophy I’m sure is cherished by each of them, won against the same franchise by whom they’re now both employed. If the down year expected by many comes for them, will McCarthy let Rodgers play out the final games of his last season out of respect for that history, or will he view it as his responsibility to his new franchise to see what they have at QB in their young
- Jackson is already the all-time leading rusher at the position, but would with 478 yards become the first QB to hit 7,000. If he plays 17 games, that only requires 28.1 rushing yards per game, which is exactly half his career average. Last year, of which he missed a month with injury, was the only season in which he hasn’t surpassed that 478-yard mark, and every other season has done so by hundreds of yards. Will he reach that landmark this year, and if so, how quickly?
- For all the talk about winning the MVP, it bears mentioning that Joe Burrow has already won Comeback Player of the Year twice at the ripe old age of 29. Chad Pennington is the only other player to have won the award twice. Having missed over half of last season, Burrow is certainly a candidate to win it for a third time. The competition is stiff this year, with multiple other high-profile signal-callers and a recently un-retired future Hall of Famer in the mix. But depending on how things play out, he could find himself making unique history as the only player to win three times. I’m certain, though, that he’d rather not be eligible to win it ever again.
- Just how many QB’s will the Browns use? If they’re known for one thing, it’s cycling through their options under center, and this year will be no different. Deshaun Watson didn’t win the job in the most convincing fashion, and he hasn’t played a full season since 2020 with the Texans. One way or another, Shedeur Sanders is likely to see some action. But if they fall out of the playoff picture as the season goes on, there’s no reason not to see what rookie Taylen Green and his plus athleticism can do. Additionally, while Dillon Gabriel is starting the season on the IR, he’s eligible to return. All of this doesn’t even include the distinct possibility that Todd Monken liked what he saw on film from Quinshon Judkins as a wildcat QB in the red zone last year and puts a similar package into his playbook this year.
All-Division Team:
QB – Lamar Jackson
RB – Chase Brown
RB – Derrick Henry
WR – Ja’Marr Chase
WR – Tee Higgins
WR – Zay Flowers
TE – Mark Andrews
TE – Harold Fannin, Jr.
LT – Ronnie Stanley
LG – Mason McCormick
C – Ted Karras
RG – Dalton Risner
RT – Amarius Mims
DL – Dexter Lawrence II
DL – Nnamdi Madubuike
DL – Cameron Heyward
ED – TJ Watt
ED – Trey Hendrickson
LB – Roquan Smith
LB – Patrick Queen
LB – Carson Schwesinger
CB – Denzel Ward
CB – Joey Porter, Jr.
FS – Bryan Cook
SS – Grant Delpit
NB – Kyle Hamilton
K – Chris Boswell
P – Ryan Rehkow
RS – LaJohntay Webster
