The AFC North has long been one of the most vaunted divisions in the entire NFL. With two of the best quarterbacks in the league in Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, combined with the occasional brilliance from the Cleveland Browns, the division is always a bloodbath to come out of.
However, the one team that continues to remain in the hunt consistently is the Pittsburgh Steelers. This year is no different, as they are tied for the top spot in the AFC North with Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback. But, with just five weeks remaining in the season, do they have a chance of making it back to the playoffs?
Are the Steelers Still Alive in the AFC North?
Given the play from Rodgers over the last few seasons and the production the Steelers had gotten from their revolving door of quarterbacks, it was hard to imagine a marked difference between their performance in 2025.
Unsurprisingly, that is exactly how things have played out, with the team standing at 7-6, just ahead of the Baltimore Ravens for the top spot in the North. However, that record has been saved by a critical Week 14 victory over the Ravens that gives them a massive edge in the standings.
With Jackson having one of the worst seasons of his career while missing a month of football, alongside Burrow being out for three months with a turf toe injury, the division was right there for the taking.
However, the Steelers could not capitalize and instead found themselves in a logjam to make the playoffs. Perhaps the most disappointing part of their entire operation has been the defense.
MORE: 2026 3-Round NFL Mock Draft: Jets, Raiders Trade Up for Quarterbacks in Round 1
The most expensive unit in all of football, while being powered by a defensive genius in Mike Tomlin, has only ranked at number 20 on PFSN’s Defense Impact for the season. With the offense catering to a 41-year-old immobile quarterback, it was always going to have a ceiling.
But the defensive deficiencies are what have truly held the team back. Still, in a wide-open division, their hopes of a playoff spot aren’t fully dead yet. According to PFSN’s Playoff Predictor, which factors in the strength of schedule to gauge how the bracket is going to shape out, the Steelers are far from done.
With their win over Baltimore, those chances have received a significant boost, as they now stand at 79.80% to make the playoffs, far and away the highest mark in the AFC North, while they have virtually the same odds, at 79.70% to win the division outright.
However, the one caveat is the injury to Rodgers’ left wrist, which could derail the season entirely in the final four weeks, where their schedule looks like this:
- Week 15: Steelers vs. Miami Dolphins
- Week 16: Steelers at Detroit Lions
- Week 17: Steelers at Cleveland Browns
- Week 18: Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens
