The AFC North has officially entered the most dangerous phase of the NFL calendar: the mandatory minicamp season. This is the magical time of year when every fan base is entirely convinced they are going to the Super Bowl, and every front office pretends that executing non-contact drills in mesh jerseys is the equivalent of winning a game in freezing January weather.
As June minicamps wrap up, the division known for treating football like a sanctioned street fight is delivering its usual blend of financial gymnastics, quarterback soap operas, and shocking coaching overhauls.
Pittsburgh Steelers: The New Golden Age of “Who Knows?”
The Steelers are navigating their first offseason in nearly two decades without Mike Tomlin, who stepped down and left a gaping, cliché-sized hole in the city’s heart. In his place, the team has leaned heavily into maximum drama by dragging out a true multi-layered quarterback enigma. For weeks, the city didn’t even know if Aaron Rodgers would return to the team. Now that he’s officially locked in under new offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy—in a nostalgic reunion—the Steelers have given him new weapons like Michael Pittman Jr. to throw to.
Meanwhile, things are getting spicy on the highest-paid defense in football. While linebacker Nick Herbig is swimming in a new four-year, $100 million contract, his teammate Alex Highsmith missed day two of minicamp with what the team officially called an “illness”. Local reporters, however, strongly suspect that Highsmith’s “illness” is actually a acute case of Contract Envy.
Cincinnati Bengals: Restructuring and Defensive Shopping Sprees
Over in Cincinnati, Joe Burrow did his best corporate team-player impression by restructuring his massive contract. The move cleared up a cool $10 million in cap space, giving the Bengals a little breathing room.
They immediately used their financial flexibility to go luxury shopping for the defense. The Bengals decided they were tired of getting bullied in the trenches and executed a blockbuster trade with the Giants, sending away their No. 10 overall draft pick to secure defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence on a hefty extension. Add in Jonathan Allen and Boye Mafe, and Cincinnati’s defensive front looks ready to actually stop a run block this year.
A popular Reddit comment from r/NFLv2 captures the general consensus on how this shifts the division balance:
“Baltimore is winning it. They have a more well rounded team than the Bengals. I can see Cincinnati sneaking into the wild card tho”
Cleveland Browns: A Reality TV Quarterback Battle
If you like your football with a heavy dose of daytime television drama, the Cleveland Browns have you covered. The Browns are currently staging a highly volatile mandatory minicamp quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and rookie Shedeur Sanders.
Neither option is currently inspiring overwhelming confidence among the Dawg Pound elite, making the offense a true wild card. To make things more terrifying for Cleveland fans, the front office parted ways with franchise icon Myles Garrett this offseason. They are trying to replace his historic production with rookies like Jared Verse, but the real headline is that Cleveland spent $1.27 million in guaranteed money on Undrafted Free Agents (UDFAs)—the highest mark in the division. They may finish last in the division predictions, but they are absolutely first in spending cash on guys who didn’t get drafted.
Baltimore Ravens: The Great Charm City Reshuffle
The Baltimore Ravens shocked the football world by firing long-time, Super Bowl-winning head coach John Harbaugh. To replace a legend, they hired Jesse Minter, who is tasked with keeping Lamar Jackson happy while Jackson aggressively lobbies for a brand-new contract extension with zero remaining guaranteed money on his current deal.
While Jackson tries to avoid an $84.3 million cap hit for next year, the Ravens made the ultimate chaotic backup plan by signing Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia to a three-year undrafted rookie contract. If nothing else, Baltimore practices are going to feature a lot of dual-threat chaos.
