In the summer of 2024, the Pittsburgh Steelers had their franchise quarterback on the roster. When the calendar flipped to 2025, it was going to be Russell Wilson or Justin Fields.
Inside the Steelers franchise, the declaration was resolute: Once the 2024 season was sorted, either Wilson or Fields would have emerged as the centerpiece that finally replaced Ben Roethlisberger. This problem had to be solved. Ownership craved it. The roster construction demanded it. Frankly, the fan base was growing tired of talking about it.
Two years later — now a full four seasons removed from Roethlisberger’s departure — we’re still talking about it. This despite having watched Pittsburgh churn through not only Wilson and Fields, but also forgettable stints from Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph. A slate of futility that would look even worse if an aging Aaron Rodgers hadn’t capably plugged the Steelers’ quarterback void for a season.
All leaving Pittsburgh’s current braintrust of general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike McCarthy to recycle hope: The future quarterback has to be on this roster.
Well, we’re about to find out. Not only is it going to be one of the league’s most interesting quarterback and general manager storylines this season, it’s a fitting snapshot of the AFC North overall. Because there may not be another division in the league where every general manager has so much at stake when it comes to how the 2026 season plays out at their QB spot.
Indeed, every franchise in the division has some kind of quarterback pressure on the spectrum. From Rodgers’ impending end in Pittsburgh and Deshaun Watson’s historical ineffectiveness with the Cleveland Browns, to Joe Burrow’s see-sawing frustration with the Cincinnati Bengals and Lamar Jackson’s (once again) massive contract power.
All of those situations remain unavoidable points of stress entering the season this week. And all of them are weighing on general managers who have to find some kind of resolution.
With that in mind, let’s begin our first-ever kickoff notebook with the AFC North…
Omar Khan and Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh
The Steelers’ general manager since 2022, Khan has been climbing the same mountain every season: Coming up with a quarterback plan that can finally endure for the franchise. You can see he’s gotten to the point of throwing everything at it, keeping four quarterbacks on the 2026 roster between Rodgers, Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar. Khan had this plan in mind going all the way back to the start of training camp, when he told reporters he believed it was possible to keep all four players on the final 53-man roster.
True to his word, he did.
I’ve spent time with Khan in a handful of training camps. I wouldn’t say he’s a careful GM as much as he’s pragmatic and reserved. It’s clear in what he’s trying to balance right now, patiently getting Rodgers back into the fold for a season, smartly keeping a solid veteran backup in Rudolph, and then retaining two young players in Howard and Allar that will be pressed to compete for the future. If this is Rodgers’ final season in Pittsburgh — and Rodgers’ one-year deal puts that ending into Khan’s hands — the goal is to figure out if either Howard or Allar is capable of stepping into the starting job next season.
But the win-now nature of the roster still exists in Pittsburgh. The only way this works is if new head coach Mike McCarthy can either figure out how to bring along Howard or Allar without starting snaps, or be willing to bench Rodgers if the season goes sideways and development becomes more important than wins.
What’s more important? Is a 10-7 season worthwhile if it means the Steelers don’t really get a good look at Howard and Allar when it matters? Unless the Steelers are constructed to be a real Super Bowl contender in 2026 — I don’t think they are — finding out what Howard and Allar can be is paramount. Even if that means one last big reboot at the position next offseason, utilizing what is expected to be an elite quarterback class that could yield up to five first-round picks at the position. There’s a very real chance that none of Pittsburgh’s four QBs will be the starter in 2027. Khan has his work cut out for him.
Andrew Berry and Deshaun Watson in Cleveland
Many will say this should be Berry and Shedeur Sanders. But Watson is the starter and getting to Sanders means figuring out what to do with Watson. I think that makes the dynamic between Berry, Watson and Browns head coach Todd Monken intriguing. When I went through Browns training camp, it was clear that Monken wanted a quarterback that could run his entire offense from the line of scrimmage. Watson has that kind of experience and I think that’s what got him the starting nod.
“The position comes down to two things,” a team source told me. “It’s decision-making and playmaking.”
To be Monken’s starter, you need to answer a lot of questions at the line. Is the offense in a “premier” look, forcing the defense into an alignment the play can successfully attack? If it’s a run play, have you made the right check or read? If it’s a pass, have you set the protection correctly? Once the ball is snapped, are you processing what you’re seeing, progressing through reads and then making the right choices? When a defense knows you’re throwing — third down pure passing instances, two-minute drill, end-of-game scenarios — can you make a play when it’s on your shoulders?
“Todd asks his quarterbacks to do a lot,” the source said.
That’s why I think Sanders isn’t the immediate starter this season. If Watson falters under those expectations, that’s when I think Sanders will get his opportunity. For Berry, it puts a lot into play. He has stocked the Browns with young offensive talent heading into this season. For that talent to develop, the offense has to function as designed. If Watson gives the Browns the better chance to do all the things they need to do at the line of scrimmage, you tend to lean into that for the sake of everyone.
This is as much a decision about Quinshon Judkins, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston and Harold Fannin Jr. as it is about Sanders. It’s also about Monken relating some urgency about wanting to win now, with an authenticity that comes from a 60-year old in his first NFL head coaching job.
“This is about the best chance to win now,” he said. “It’s not our job to worry about down the road. We’ve got to win now.”
That makes Watson the Week 1 starter at quarterback. Later, the answer may be Sanders. With the Browns holding two first-round picks in that 2027 draft, the answer might become someone who is currently on a college roster. Clarifying that is going to define Cleveland’s 2026 season.
Duke Tobin and Joe Burrow in Cincinnati
It’s getting hard to know what to believe when it comes to Burrow and the Bengals. In late August, he told reporters he viewed 2026 as a “now or never” season. Capped with a viral quote that raised the eyebrows of some other executives across the league:
“You can keep pushing it down the road or you can talk about it now and say this is the year,” Burrow said. “You know, I’m tired of saying, ‘Next year, next year, next year.’ This is it.”
When you say “this is it” and you’ve worn your emotions on your sleeve, it raises the antenna of other NFL franchises. Only because it invites the question of whether another disappointing season causes a fracture.
Then came Tuesday, when Burrow seemed to walk back the remarks in an interview with the team’s website.
“I’m here for the long haul,” Burrow told Bengals.com. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m just trying to bring a now-or-never mentality to the day-by-day process. If you’re not, what are you doing? Attack the day with a championship mindset. The rest will take care of itself.”
Or it won’t. Because who knows how Burrow will feel at the end of this season if the Bengals have the kinds of defensive problems they had in 2025. That’s what Cincinnati GM Duke Tobin has to contend with. If the season tanks, there’s no doubt the Bengals will get inquiries about their QB. Even with Burrow still having three years on his contract after the 2026 season, opposing GMs know Cincinnati would only be on the hook for just over $54 million in dead cap if he’s dealt in mid March (before a $10-million option bonus kicks in).
Now consider that Burrow has been a persistent injury concern. He also turns 30 in December, which means the Bengals are well into his prime years. This feels like a ticking clock. If 2026 is another disappointment and Burrow is clearly unhappy I don’t know that head coach Zac Taylor — or Tobin — can survive it.
Eric DeCosta and Lamar Jackson in Baltimore
There’s a lot going on in this tandem, and it involves two kinds of pressure: The burden of needing to win, and the strain of how to continue making that plausible with Lamar Jackson’s contract remaining a looming iceberg. Ravens GM Eric DeCosta went into the offseason needing to lighten Jackson’s $74.5 million cap hit in 2026 and resolved the problem with a restructure. Unfortunately, that move created an even bigger issue next offseason, when the Ravens will have to figure out how to navigate an $84.34 million cap charge.
Owner Steve Bisciotti said he wanted an extension to resolve this problem. He didn’t get that. Ultimately, DeCosta is on the hook.
Now Jackson has his hands completely around extension negotiations with the ability to choose his own adventure — including just playing out the current deal through 2027 and going to free agency, thanks to no-tag and no-trade clauses. If the Ravens struggle in 2026 and 2027, or even if the team thrives in those years, it materially has no impact on what Baltimore can do with Jackson. He dictates his future, has the ability to do a new deal at his leisure, or can leave in free agency at 31 years old. Baltimore can’t change any of that.
One veteran agent with a history of quarterback deals made a good point about what Jackson has constructed.
“He can do whatever he wants,” the agent said. “No quarterback has had a better negotiating position in the franchise tag years. Even Dak [Prescott]. If Lamar wants to be a $65-million [per season] quarterback in Baltimore, he’ll get that. If he wants to play it out to free agency, he could ask for $70-million [per season] and would probably have options.”
How DeCosta gets out of that without making Jackson the league’s first $70-million per-season quarterback is murky at best.
As 2026 kicks off, this is life in the AFC North. Two general managers in search of a quarterback, and two GMs who are dealing with the reality that finding one doesn’t solve everything.
Now on to some other quick-hitters.
I’ve always said Week 1 is a tremendous liar in the NFL. But a few (over)reactions coming out of the Seattle Seahawks’ 13-10 season-opening win over the New England Patriots…
The loss carries more weight for the Patriots than the Seahawks win, if only because this was a game that New England and quarterback Drake Maye had an opportunity to show an offseason of growth. Even in a game that was closer than New England’s 29-13 loss to Seattle in the Super Bowl, Maye arguably did the opposite. I doubt the three crucial interceptions represent what Maye is, but it was a reminder of the mistakes he can’t keep making under duress. It’s fair to argue that losing A.J. Brown altered the tone a lot for Maye offensively. But that doesn’t change the fact that his game-sealing interception came on a ball he never should have thrown…
Romeo Doubs’ ineffectiveness and bad drop was a bit of a stunner for the Patriots. Doubs looked like a monster when I went through New England’s camp. He looked perfectly suited to be Maye’s No. 2 wideout. Now, if the Brown injury lingers, it’s going to be hard not to wonder about the wisdom of dealing a productive Kayshon Boutte…
On the flip side of the ledger, Seattle’s defense might end up being better than last year’s edition. To see the Seahawks play with that level of playmaking in the secondary without safety/joker Nick Emmanwori on the field — especially in a pivotal fourth quarter — was impressive. Seahawks coach Mike McDonald is something else…
The critics who questioned Jadarian Price as a legitimate starter are off to a bad start. The speed and power translates. He looks like a perfect fit for the Kenneth Walker role in Seattle…
As we wait for conclusive word on the Sam Darnold hip injury, it’s worth noting that Drew Lock is in the final year of his deal. Whether it’s earning another starting shot or just elevating himself as a high end backup, the door to solid money may have just opened.
On Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald missing Week 1 — yes, the Australia trip against the San Francisco 49ers for Thursday Night Football didn’t make sense in terms of Donald joining the team. But this may not be the end of patience from the Rams. I still think there’s an outside chance Donald sits out Week 2 against the New York Giants on Sept. 21. That said, it’s hard to pass up returning on a Monday Night Football stage. Especially in the home opener.
Speaking of the 49ers, the season-ending injury to 49ers defensive tackle Alfred Collins was devastating, but it’s just going to speed up the timeline of rookie Gracen Halton. A fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma, the front office was extremely excited about him when I went through camp. Interestingly, when Halton was selected, the franchise was debating between Halton, Carver Willis and others. Taking a 4th string defensive tackle wasn’t the sexy move, but 49ers evaluators agreed that Halton was the best overall player on the board. Now he’s going to play a key rotational role with the loss of Collins. Sometimes a move doesn’t have to be sexy to be right.
Brian Baldinger@BaldyNFL.@49ers @Titans rookie DT; Gracen Halton played 1/2 the game and popped with his ability to refuse to be blocked. #BaldysBreakdowns
2:10 PM · Aug 14, 2026 · 306K Views66 Replies · 300 Reposts · 4.1K LikesIt’s going to be interesting to see how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers extension with Baker Mayfield plays out. The 3-year $165-million deal is only a discount if you believed Mayfield was capable of resetting the market prior to this season. I never got the sense that the Buccaneers were at that level of desperation. So they signed him to the high end of what his market might have been in free agency next offseason. The intrigue now is whether Mayfield can stay healthy. Mayfield’s banged-up 2025 season has to have some lingering concerns, even if it was complicated by so many other injuries. Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray signed big extensions under the historical specter of injuries and were abject disasters. Jordan Love and Brock Purdy are still fighting to show they can stay healthy and productive. Now Mayfield is going to have to show he doesn’t belong in the buyer beware category at 31 years old.
It wasn’t exactly a scientific poll, but when I asked 7 general managers on my camp tour to choose an early frontrunner in the 2027 draft’s quarterback class, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr got three votes. Oregon’s Dante Moore received two and Texas’ Arch Manning netted the other two. I’m going to hold off on sharing the commentary from the GMs until further into the college football season, but some evaluators have been enamored with Carr in the early going.
How much home and effort would it have taken to crate this image without the ease of AI? Was it worth the pollution and water that the data centers are using?