Just a month ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers' projected starting quarterback for the 2025 season was going to be career backup and occasional spot starter Mason Rudolph, who they brought back for a second tour of duty after one year away serving in that role for the Tennessee Titans.
The state of their pass catching core looked promising following the acquisition of two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver D.K. Metcalf back in March. However, it quickly became shallow and lackluster when they traded away George Pickens who led the team in receiving yards in each of the past two seasons after the 2025 NFL Draft concluded without them spending a single pick on the position.
Their wait to finally sign four-time league MVP and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers finally ended in early June after months of courtship, speculation and rumors of a handshake deal already being in place.
On the other side of the ball, their most notable offseason additions were six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, fresh off winning a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles and first-round defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, who led all college interior defensive linemen in pressures in 2024.
In less than a month, they were able to vastly upgrade at quarterback as well their secondary and pass catching group overall with the blockbuster trade package Monday that sent five-time Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith and a 2027 seventh-round pick.
With these latest moves on the heels of signing Rodgers to a very team-friendly one-year deal, the Steelers are clearly going all in on trying to contend for a Super Bowl after having not won a playoff game in nearly a decade since 2016.
Pittsburgh has the highest quality of quarterback they've had since Ben Roethlisberger retired and got another dynamic weapon that is very familiar with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. All that being stated, their ceiling on offense is still nowhere near as high as the Cincinnati Bengals, who have a top-five quarterback in Joe Burrow and arguably the best receiver tandem in the league with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
The Baltimore Ravens have won each of the last two AFC North division titles and are not only seeking to make history in 2025 by becoming the first team to ever win three straight but are primed to do so after they stockpiled even more talent onto what was an already loaded roster.
Although the Steelers still aren't equipped to go blow for blow and come out on top of a shootout against the two-time defending division champions, an argument can be made that they still present the biggest threat to the Ravens' chances of a three-peat because of the improvements they made on defense.
While they lost one of the best natural free safeties and ballhawks in Fitzpatrick, who had been key to their success on defense since they acquired him via trade in 2019, they gained a versatile weapon in Ramsey, who can be deployed in a multitude of roles, including outside corner, nickel and safety.
Pairing him with Slay who still playing at a high level heading into his 13th season and third-year pro Joey Porter Jr., they have very strong at the top of the depth chart. Against the Ravens' two-tight end sets, they can still have all three players on the field because of Ramsey's ability to physically matchup with likes of Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely in coverage.
Meanwhile, the Bengals' most notable offseason addition to a defense that was woefully ineffective outside of the league's reigning sack leader, who they've publicly ostracized in the media, is still not under contract. Between their ongoing contract stalemates with first-round rookie Shemar Stewart and five-time Pro Bowl veteran Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati's defensive outlook for the 2025 season isn't positioned to be much improved, if improved at all.
If last season proved anything for the Bengals, it was that just having an elite offense isn't enough to challenge for a division title or even make the playoffs, as they missed out on the postseason for the second year in a row despite finishing with a winning record of 9-8 in back-to-back years.
The Ravens should and are still favored to be the AFC North champions. However, with the moves the Steelers have made to improve their team overall, a gauntlet slate of games to open the season and the fact they don't play each other until the final five weeks of the season, the race could go down to the wire and come down to the two arch rivals.
