"They Look Scary": Steelers' Super Bowl Champion Tells Pittsburgh To Fear AFC North Foe

The Pittsburgh Steelers will have every team in the AFC North gunning for them during the 2026 season. Winning the division always comes with a significant target being placed on your back, so Mike McCarthy and co. will have a lot of work to do in order to come out on top. The majority of pundits and fans likely believe that the Cleveland Browns won't match up with the other three franchises, which has been the trend for pretty much the entire 21st century. The Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, however, have strong rosters that can compete with the NFL's best.

The Steelers have somewhat of a disadvantage because they have to go up against a first-place schedule. This means that the contests that occur within the division will be crucial throughout the season. As always, staying healthy and remaining consistent will be keys when it comes to winning the AFC North. The injury bug hit both the Ravens and Bengals quite a bit in 2025.

The man that could single-handedly determine the division's winner is Joe Burrow. Cincinnati's signal-caller is one of the best quarterbacks in the entire league, but has had trouble staying healthy during the course of his career. If he can suit up for all 17 games, it's hard to envision the collective not achieving at least 10 wins, particularly with the boosts on defense. Dexter Lawrence was a massive pick-up for the organization.

On Monday's Good Morning Football show, former Steelers offensive lineman and Super Bowl champion Willie Colon went into detail about what it will take for the Bengals to take control of the AFC North.

"They should still be able to compete and put forward a solid effort and win games because of their current roster," Colon said. "Joe Burrow, he's the end all be all, I get that, but right now, the Cincinnati Bengals have done enough in the offseason, they should win some games on the road and scare some people at home."

There have already been rumors swirling that another underperforming year in Cincinnati could lead to Burrow trying to move on from the team that drafted him. Despite this, Colon fully believes that the Bengals could provide some headaches to opponents during the season.

"They gotta come out swinging. They have to come to play with an edge that scares people right now because we know they can score points," Colon stated. "Now, with Dexter Lawrence and a host of other guys, man, on paper they look scary. They look legit."

AFC North matchups are always difficult, and the Steelers were let off of the hook in 2025, as the talented quarterback in Burrow did not suit up for either contest between the two franchises. Assuming he stays healthy, Pittsburgh won't be as lucky in 2026.

TJ Watt and the rest of the Steelers' defense will have plenty of tough tasks in 2026. The fact that Burrow seems to be fully healthy and ready to go leads to just another couple of challenges on the schedule. Having a minimum of four wins within the AFC North will go a long way in going back-to-back for Pittsburgh.

Players like Burrow and Ravens' Lamar Jackson are not easy to face off against twice a season. Injuries are never something to root for, so beating both of these teams when the best contributors are on the field will go a long way in preparing for a potential postseason run.

Steelers Have To Take Advantage Of Both Showdowns Versus Browns

Pittsburgh has struggled to take care of business when playing the often-inferior Browns of late. Dropping one of those contests cannot happen in 2026 if the Steelers are hoping to be AFC North champions once again. Anything can happen in the NFL when competing against a rival, but the trend of losing to Cleveland is something that needs to come to an end in McCarthy's first year at the helm.

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