PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL, but their route to the playoffs is never easy due to their division. The AFC North has always been known for hard-nosed football, but with the emergence of some great quarterbacks, it’s becoming even more challenging.
This season, the Steelers head into the campaign with the AFC North having two of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL, according to NFL executives and scouts across the league. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler created a list of the top 10 passers of the year, voted on by executives, coaches and scouts, and both the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens QBs were ranked.
The Bengals passer stole the show, being ranked the second-best quarterback in the league behind just Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes. According to those within the league, Joe Burrow it No. 2 quarterback in the NFL.
“Baller. Release. Decision-making. Tough as nails,” a veteran NFC offensive coach told Fowler. “One play away from already having a ring. And young so the injury not as concerning.”
“Burrow is still probably the most consistent of all the guys,” an NFL executive added. “A pure thrower who’s in complete command of the offense and comes up big in big moments. He knows when to attack and be aggressive vs. when to take the easy yards. And the dude is so tough.”
Burrow has dealt with multiple big-time injuries throughout his career, including a wrist injury last season that shut him down after just 10 games. When healthy, though, his body of work includes a Super Bowl apperance, and he’s entering just his fifth season.
Lamar Jackson comes in at No. 4, trailing Mahomes, Burrow and Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen. This is a climb from his rank at No. 7 last season.
“He was better than the numbers say as a pocket passer,” an AFC executive told Fowler. “Really efficient. May not have had crazy production but always made a lot of plays. Watching it, you feel the impact. Definitely more accurate.”
The Steelers have had Jackson’s number in the past, beating him four of the six times they’ve matched up. In those competitions, Jackson has thrown four touchdowns and seven interceptions.
This season, the Steelers will take on Mahomes (1), Burrow (2), Jackson (4), Justin Herbert (6), Aaron Rodgers (8), Dak Prescott (10) Jalen Hurts (HM) and Kirk Cousins (HM).
