2026 AFC North division preview: Overview, odds and predicted winner

The AFC North was in danger of becoming predictable, then the Pittsburgh Steelers knocked the Baltimore Ravens off their perch, making it three different winners in the last four years.

Coming into 2026, the division has three new head coaches, with the Ravens, Steelers and Cleveland Browns under new direction.

As for the quarterbacks, two of the best in football are squaring off again: Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow; Rodgers is here for one final ride, and Cleveland's starter is yet to be named.

What were last year's final standings? What's changed from last year? And who wins the division in 2026? Here's our full breakdown, complete with DAZN Bet odds.

2025 AFC North division standings

AFC North 2026 outlook by team

Baltimore Ravens

John Harbaugh is gone after 18 seasons, replaced by Jesse Minter, who spent the past two years turning the Chargers' defense into one of the best in football.

Rob Carr / Staff

Whether a rookie head coach can unlock a Ravens team that has been frustratingly close to the Super Bowl without getting there is the defining question around Baltimore right now.

The defense was the problem in 2025, ranking 18th in points allowed and 24th in yards, and Baltimore have moved quickly to fix it.

Trey Hendrickson arrives having recorded more sacks than any edge rusher in the NFL since 2020, placing behind only Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt.

He'll have help from standout safety Kyle Hamilton, linebacker Roquan Smith, and a talented defensive group that should enjoy a bounce-back year.

Derrick Henry rushed for over 1,500 yards for the fifth time in his career in 2025, and Jackson leads an offense that new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle will look to evolve.

Jackson described the new setup as "a breath of fresh air," which is precisely what Ravens Flock wanted to hear from the two-time MVP.

The receiver room is thin behind Zay Flowers and a returning Rashod Bateman as the primary options beyond Mark Andrews, but there's a handful of rookies who could become impactful by year's end.

Up front, rookie guard Olaivavega Ioane joins Ronnie Stanley and promising tackle Roger Rosengarten to help plug some holes for Henry and give Jackson the time he needs.

Cincinnati Bengals

By the end of last season, Burrow wasn't hiding how he felt about three consecutive years out of the playoffs, and the front office responded with the most aggressive offseason in recent memory.

Losing Hendrickson will sting, but Dexter Lawrence arrived via trade, veteran Jonathan Allen joined in free agency, and edge rusher Boye Mafe will be a plus if he gets back to his 2023 best.

Burrow restructured his contract to create cap room and make it all work, and he's sounded re-energised by the new-look roster.

"We have everything we need," he said in May. "We made a big trade for a big-time player. Signed a free agent top safety on the market, and other additions."

Safety Bryan Cook, arguably the top player at his position on the market, signed a three-year deal to improve the secondary, but he'll need help from more than just promising corner DJ Turner.

At linebacker, improvement is expected from Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter, both of whom missed too many tackles in their rookie years.

Offensively, Burrow is as good as it gets, and running back Chase Brown continues to be underappreciated after racking up almost 2,000 rushing yards and 800 receiving yards in the last two seasons.

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins give Cincinnati one of the best receiver rooms in the league, and if rookie Colbie Young can deliver on the early hype, Burrow could feast.

To achieve that, though, he'll need a little more from an offensive line that has some question marks, with veteran tackle Orlando Brown's performances dropping off last year.

If the defense somehow holds up, Zac Taylor's team will become very difficult to beat.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Aaron Rodgers announced this will be his final NFL season, which makes Pittsburgh's situation in 2026 one of the more fascinating in the conference.

Mike McCarthy is back as head coach, reuniting with Rodgers after their years together in Green Bay, and the hope is that familiarity unlocks something the Steelers' 2025 offense couldn't always find.

That offense ranked 17th in yards per play last season, which wasn't a disaster, but wasn't quite what you'd expect from a team with Rodgers and wideout DK Metcalf as the centrepieces.

Rodgers was positive about reuniting with McCarthy, telling reporters, "Honestly, sitting in the first meeting took me back to being a 22-year-old kid sitting in Green Bay."

Pittsburgh added running back Rico Dowdle to a room led by Jaylen Warren, before trading for Michael Pittman Jr. and drafting Germie Bernard.

And while Pittman has dropped off in recent years, he could excel with Metcalf drawing attention on the other boundary, and Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington doing the same over the middle.

The offensive line remains a concern, but young center Zach Frazier was a real find, and first-rounder Max Iheanachor and third-rounder guard convert Gennings Dunker add real potential.

Patrick Graham arrives as the defensive coordinator, and has been given the keys to one of the deepest defensive lines in football.

It's a unit that still starts with T.J. Watt, but he has ample help with Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig on the edge, and Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton, and Derrick Harmon on the interior.

The linebacker group is questionable, but the secondary got a boost with the free agent addition of cornerback Jamel Dean and, to a lesser extent, safety Jaquan Brisker.

If they do enough to secure a playoff berth, the offense can raise its game, and if the defense remembers how to stop the run in January, they could cause some upsets.

Cleveland Browns

The Myles Garrett era ended in June when Cleveland traded him to the Rams for Jared Verse and a multi-year haul of draft picks.

Nine seasons, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, and seven Pro Bowls are irreplaceable, but Verse is a talented player who gives the Browns a longer runway.

There's ample defensive help surrounding Verse, with Rookie Defensive Player of the Year Carson Schwesinger at linebacker, now joined by Quincy Williams.

Denzel Ward at corner, Mason Graham and Maliek Collins at defensive tackle, and rookie safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren should all help Cleveland's defense continue to perform well.

New head coach Todd Monken inherits a roster in rebuild mode, but hasn't yet named a starting quarterback for Week 1.

Watson hasn't played since 2024 following back-to-back Achilles injuries, and second-year man Shedeur Sanders is fighting to hold on to the job that was his to lose at the end of last year.

Nick Cammett / Stringer

Receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, both drafted in the top two rounds, give whoever wins the quarterback job at least something to work with alongside Jerry Jeudy.

And don't forget tight end Harold Fannin, who looked superb in his rookie season and could be knocking on the door of the top-five tight ends in 2026 if he continues to ascend.

The offensive line was substantially overhauled, with Tytus Howard, Elgton Jenkins, and Zion Johnson all arriving, joined by first-round tackle Spencer Fano. Of those, Johnson is the only real head scratcher.

That's a lot of moving parts and unproven youngsters on offense, which leaves us thinking the Browns are a year and potentially a quarterback away from seriously competing.

2026 AFC North division winner odds

Odds correct as of June 22, 2026. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s.

Our AFC North predicted winner: Ravens

DAZN's NFL writer Jason Abbey weighs in

Pittsburgh are interesting, and McCarthy and Rodgers should unlock a better offensive display, but a 42-year-old in his final season is something of a fragile foundation to build a title run on.

And after finishing 10-7 for the third year in a row, there's an argument the Steelers won the crown partly because their rivals dropped off rather than anything Pittsburgh did particularly well.

For me, Cincinnati are the sleeper pick of the division, with Burrow hopefully healthy for a full season alongside Chase and Higgins.

But we're not sold on the Bengals' defense without Hendrickson, and need to see improvement from a unit that missed far too many tackles for long periods last year.

The Ravens are my pick, with Jackson healthy, Henry showing no signs of slowing down, and Hendrickson giving the defense a closer they lacked last year.

Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

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