Why the Steelers are the AFC North ‘team to watch’ in 2023

The AFC North is one of the most competitive divisions in football. It’s seen three different winners in the last four years, with all teams having played at least one playoff game since 2020.

Entering the 2023 season, the Cincinnati Bengals are the expected favourites, not just for the division but for the Super Bowl, with the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns ranked not too far behind.

But despite being the considered underdog with the bookmakers, there is a lot to be excited about the Pittsburgh Steelers this season. They might be seen as a respectable, yet average team when compared to some of the NFL’s elites, but with a pedigree of superstars and an exciting core of young talent, Pittsburgh could be the team on the up in the north.

Building on a resilient year of rebuild in 2022

Death, taxes … and the Steelers finishing .500 or better. Pittsburgh has never finished with a losing record under Mike Tomlin in his 16 seasons, and look set for another competitive season in 2023.

Last year threatened that record, but the Steelers went 7-2 in the final nine games of the 2022 season to keep their historic streak of non-losing seasons alive.

There were a number of positives in the first season post the Ben Roethlisberger era, including in the start of the development of his replacement. Kenny Pickett is a popular choice as the player who could make the leap in year two as an NFL pro, with a much improved offensive line ahead of him and blossoming group of young, skill players to help.

After a solid rookie season with the Steelers, the former first rounder is heading into 2023 in positive light. But in a division that features Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson, the question in the AFC North is whether Pittsburgh have their own star quarterback for the future. Pickett must step up another gear, silence any doubters and add his name alongside this elite tier of QBs.

Keeping up with ever-improving rivals

We’ve talked about the strength of the teams in the AFC North, and they’ve all arguably got stronger going into 2023. The championship chasing Bengals have bolstered their ranks, the Ravens finally tied down their star player Lamar Jackson and added some new targets to help him, while the Browns are looking forward to their first full season with Deshaun Watson at quarterback. No doubt, it is going to be one of the most competitive divisions in football yet again.

The Steelers have also had, in my eyes, a stellar offseason. Cameron Sutton will be a tough loss at cornerback, but newly acquired Joey Porter Jr. and Patrick Peterson should prove to be an upgrade and help the secondary to remain solid. The additions of Isaac Seumalo, Cole Holcomb and Nate Herbig look excellent free agency signings, and further additions in the trenches in the NFL Draft will prove to be masterstroke decisions.

If they can hit the ground running in September and be competitive in their division, there is no reason why their fans can’t get excited about a potential return to the postseason at the end of 2023.