In terms of quarterback name-recognition alone, the AFC North is loaded.
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers is a four-time NFL MVP. The Ravens’ Lamar Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP. Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow (+850) is listed second on Fanatics Sportsbook’s 2026-27 NFL MVP odds board, trailing only Josh Allen (+650). Rodgers, Jackson, and Burrow all find themselves in our Top 20 NFL QBs of 2026-27 list.
Even the Browns’ lowly combo of Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders at least have name recognition, as Watson is a three-time Pro Bowl player and Sanders is the son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.
The QBs in this division are an interesting blend of young and old. Rodgers is the oldest player in the NFL as he will turn 43 in December. Jackson is well into his prime at 29 years of age. Burrow is also 29, and Watson is 30. Sanders is the young’n at 24.This is Every AFC North Starting Quarterback Ranked from Worst to Best.
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Shedeur Sanders / Deshaun Watson
Team: Cleveland Browns
Age: 24/30
2025 Stats:
Sanders: 120-212 56.6 CMP% 1400 YDS 7 TD 10 INT 68.1 RTG
Watson: DNP in 2025
Give Browns head coach Todd Monken and GM Andrew Berry some truth serum and they’d likely tell you that neither Watson or Sanders are the longterm plan at QB in Cleveland. The Browns surely have their eye on the 2027 NFL Draft, which is flush with projected difference-makers at the position. Still, the Browns have 17 games to play in the 2026-27 regular season and someone will have to be under center. Watson is favored to get the nod, as he has proven to be a capable NFL QB in the past. Rust will be a major issue for Watson, who hasn’t played in a regular season NFL game since October of 2024. The Clemson product was solid in the Browns’ first preseason game this August, completing 11-of-15 passes for 126 yards against the Bears. Sanders was just 6-of-11 for 79 yards and an interception. —Matt Burke
Aaron Rodgers
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Age: 42
2025 Stats: 327-498 65.7 CMP% 3,322 YDS 24 TD 7 INT 94.8 RTG
The four-time MVP is calling it a career at the end of season 22, his second with the Steelers and his first with head coach Mike McCarthy since their years together in Green Bay. Rodgers is no longer the quarterback from back then—age and a 2023 Achilles tear have robbed him of his athleticism—but he was still good enough to drag the Steelers to a division title last season. —Thomas Golianopoulos
Lamar Jackson
Team: Baltimore Ravens
Age: 29
2025 Stats: 192-302 63.6 CMP% 2,549 YDS 21 TD 7 INT 103.8 RTG
Lamar Jackson remains one of the most electric, game-changing dual-threat weapons the NFL has seen at quarterback, but it’s beginning to feel like the narrative in Baltimore is getting stale. The two-time MVP still dominates the regular season with his ability to change the game with his legs and a pocket presence that has become incredibly impressive, yet the ultimate prize continues to elude him. Hampered by injuries in 2025, Jackson proved he can still sling it at an elite level, wrapping up the season with a 103.8 passer rating. However, as the Ravens gear up for another regular-season battle attempting to take the AFC North crown, the pressure is mounting. It’s no longer about whether Lamar can win; it’s about whether he can win when it matters most in January.—Jeff Smith
Joe Burrow
Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Age: 29
2025 Stats: 173-259 66.8.CMP% 1,809 YDS 17 TD 5 INT 100.7 RTG
It’s almost now-or-never for Joe Cool. Despite posting absurd passing numbers, the story remains the same for Burrow and the Bengals: the offensive line can’t protect him; he can’t stay healthy; and the defense can’t stop anyone. That’s a recipe for disaster—and the Bengals haven’t made the playoffs since the 2022 season. But we can’t quit Burrow just yet. No one throws a prettier deep ball and few are as decisive at the line of scrimmage, although it helps to have Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins lined up on the outside. —TG
