Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the AFC North, where the disparity between the four teams’ starting quarterbacks is wider than it is in any of the NFL’s five other divisions.

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In one corner, and at one end of the spectrum, we have Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens and Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals. They are among the top five quarterbacks in the league, and, if you were to take a guess, you would say they will also likely be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday.

And in the other corner, and at the other end of the spectrum, we have the Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, whose quarterback situations are the most muddled in the NFL, and perhaps also the worst, at least on paper at this early juncture, although that could certainly change.

In Pittsburgh, the only man standing right now is Mason Rudolph, a journeyman at best who was already tossed out the door by the Steelers once before. Finicky and completely unpredictable Aaron Rodgers, he of a lack of commitment in recent years when it comes to offseason preparation, might walk in the door one day, but the Steelers would be foolish to fully place much faith in that. And anyway, they just traded a head case in wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, so do they really want to bring someone with a like personality back into the locker room? What would be the sense in that? As such, then, it might be Rudolph under center by default on opening day, a thought that likely makes head coach Mike Tomlin and owner Art Rooney II sweat through their shirts.

And in Cleveland, there’s Joe Flacco, already in the Pro Football Hall of the Very Good, who is in his second tour of duty with the team. He was signed off his couch two yards ago and stepped in down the stretch because of injuries and led the Browns to the playoffs. How much does he have left in the tank? And might he be better suited to be the reliable backup with three other young players on the roster in former Steeler Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shadeur Sanders? As for the 230 Million Dollar Man, Deshaun Watson, his chances of just playing, let alone starting, are less than those of Jim Harbaugh being given a ticket tape parade through Downtown Columbus.

So, with quarterback being the most important position in team sports, how do the Browns and Steelers make up all that ground between themselves and the Ravens and Bengals?

Ah, that’s the main question of the season, right?

Steve King

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