After Sweeping Changes, Has the AFC North Lost its Edge in the NFL?

The 2025 season was an unusual one for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the rest of the AFC North, at least in hindsight. By the end of the year, three head coaches had coached their final games with their respective franchises. Now, the division enters 2026 with three new head coaches and plenty of unanswered questions. Once widely considered the NFL's best division and home to some of the league's premier rivalries, the AFC North may have lost some of its edge. At least, that's how one analyst sees it.

The NFL's official website ranked all eight divisions entering 2026, placing the AFC North fourth. That ranking suggests the division is no longer viewed as the powerhouse it once was.

“For the first time since 2021 (and only the fourth time since 2010), the AFC North champion triumphed with just 10 wins. It required a season-ending classic played by the Steelers and Ravens to produce a victor. Simply put, the 2025 season fell below the standard of the AFC North,” Nick Shook wrote.

A new era in the AFC North

The Steelers aren't the only team entering a period of transition. Two of their division rivals are also beginning new eras.

“We enter 2026 with little reason to believe last year was an anomaly. Questions are present throughout the division, which features three new head coaches -- including two first-timers -- and returns only Zac Taylor, perhaps the most unlikely survivor of all, as a tenured sideline director.” Shook wrote.

Whenever a division undergoes this much change, uncertainty follows. Still, the teams making coaching changes return much of their core talent. The lone exception may be the Cleveland Browns, who appear to be in the middle of another roster overhaul. Even so, the Steelers, Ravens, and Browns each enter the season with significant questions to answer.

Despite the turnover, three of the four teams remain legitimate playoff contenders. That could mean the division is being underestimated, if only slightly.

The AFC North can still be one of the NFL's best divisions

Any division featuring Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow at quarterback will have a chance to compete at a high level. While Aaron Rodgers is no longer the player he was at his peak, he still gives the Steelers a chance to win. Defensively, Pittsburgh and Cleveland continue to feature proven talent, while both the Bengals and Ravens made offseason moves to strengthen their defenses.

So while the AFC North's 2025 performance may have been "below the standard," the division remains wide open and loaded with talent. It still compares favorably to divisions like the NFC South and AFC East. There's a strong chance the AFC North will once again send multiple teams to the playoffs.

All of that comes despite the division experiencing its most significant stretch of head coaching turnover since 2007-09.