AFC North Preview: Quarterbacks
The AFC North is a loaded division. Last year, the Baltimore Ravens won the AFC North crown. The biggest key will be the health of the AFC’s elite quarterbacks. For instance, in 2020, Joe Burrow had his rookie season cut short while Lamar Jackson played in the playoffs before exiting early in the Divisional Round versus the Buffalo Bills. In 2021 and 2022, Jackson went down with an injury three-quarters of the way into both regular seasons. Burrow advanced to back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 2021 and 2022.
This past season, Burrow had a season-ending injury halfway through the year while Jackson advanced to the AFC Championship Game. Since Burrow came into the league, there has not been a season where both Burrow and Jackson enter the postseason healthy. Now, enter Deshaun Watson. In 2022, Watson missed a majority of the season due to a suspension and played just six games. In 2023, Watson again played six games before going down with a season-ending injury. Since Watson arrived in the AFC North, in both 2022 and 2023, all three quarterbacks have not made it to the postseason healthy.
The biggest key is to see all these quarterbacks healthy and there can potentially be three AFC North teams in the postseason. The three quarterbacks combine for three AFC Championship appearances and they have never faced off each other in the playoffs. Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, it will be either Super Bowl 48 Champion Russell Wilson or former first-round pick Justin Fields for the starting quarterback job. It’s a new era of AFC North football with these quarterbacks. Expect the scoring ranges to be in the high 30s and less of the typical AFC North clashes that end in 9-6.
