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With 2026 training camps just around the corner, it's time to get up to speed on all 32 NFL teams. Nick Shook has the lowdown on the key position battles and top storylines to monitor for the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Catch up on each AFC North team's offseason developments and 2026 outlook below:

• Baltimore Ravens
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Cleveland Browns
• Pittsburgh Steelers

Three key storylines

1) Minter era begins

John Harbaugh is gone, and in steps rookie head coach Jesse Minter to replace him. Baltimore needed a fresh start; Minter is the face of it. But with a fresh start comes uncertainty: Is Minter capable of preparing and directing his team toward the Super Bowl contention that has become the standard expectation in the Charm City? Will the shift from Harbaugh to Minter -- a product of the Harbaugh family coaching tree -- be enough to push the Ravens back into the postseason? Or is the similarity between the two too close to produce meaningful change? It's not often a team changes coaches and is still expected to compete for division titles (and more), but that's where the Ravens find themselves. And as is always the case with rookie coaches, there's plenty of learning ahead, for better or worse. Does this move boost Baltimore back to the top of the division, or will the Ravens suffer another disappointing finish like in 2025?

2) New OC for Lamar

With a new coaching staff in Baltimore, Lamar Jackson has a new offensive coordinator. Declan Doyle is only 30 years old and less than a year older than Jackson, which could produce a deeper level of understanding between coach and quarterback, but he's a largely unproven play-caller. Doyle spent his first season as an OC under offensive mastermind Ben Johnson in Chicago, meaning he wasn't holding the play sheet. Now, he will be. Jackson, who is , will need to adjust quickly and help the new coordinator establish a rapport with him in order to maximize the potential of the offense, which returns Derrick Henry, Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, among others. Baltimore must find a replacement for departed tight end Isaiah Likely, but if Doyle is anything like the coach he spent 2025 under, the new OC should produce positive results -- even if it takes a bit to get going.

3) A restored defense

A hidden detail in the Ravens' 2025 struggles existed in their defense, a unit that is traditionally a strength but was a sieve early in the campaign. The main reason: Defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike went down with a serious neck injury, exposing a weakness and lack of depth up front that rendered Baltimore's D mostly ineffective except for the moments in which safety Kyle Hamilton played superhero to save the day. That's not sustainable, and the Ravens acted accordingly this offseason, signing Trey Hendrickson to restore a fearsome presence in the pass-rushing unit. Madubuike could return in 2026, too, and age-defying defensive end Calais Campbell has rejoined the Ravens to give them some much-needed depth. This is the group that Minter will direct, and regardless of what happens offensively, this unit's performance will determine how far Baltimore can go in 2026.

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Three key storylines

1) Can defense finally deliver?

A year after navigating the choppy, dramatic waters that came with Trey Hendrickson's holdout, the Bengals are in a much better place defensively. They invested significantly in that side of the ball, adding DT Jonathan Allen, DE Boye Mafe, S Bryan Cook and S Kyle Dugger in free agency before swinging a major trade for DT Dexter Lawrence. On paper, Cincinnati has finally upgraded defensively and appears poised to chase a Super Bowl. But we all know depth charts only matter so much. The Bengals' defensive inadequacies have led to great frustration. In the midst of a third straight playoff-less season last December, Joe Burrow openly wondered about his football future largely because he was exasperated by the frequent challenges and predictable disappointments. If the D is fixed, there's reason to believe these Bengals can return to the postseason and embark on a deep run.

2) Burrow's health

Can Joe Burrow stay healthy for once? While most of the blame for this team's recent struggles has been rightfully pinned on the defense, Burrow's lack of availability has also been a near-annual problem. Last season, a toe injury required surgery and knocked him out for nine games, sending the Bengals into a crisis mode that prompted them to trade for Joe Flacco. By the time Burrow returned, Cincinnati needed to be nearly perfect to rescue its playoff hopes, an impossible goal the flawed Bengals failed to reach. In 2023, a similar story played out when Burrow missed Cincinnati's final seven games due to a season-ending wrist injury. As is the case with every NFL franchise, the Bengals' title hopes ride on the quarterback's availability. That will continue to be true in 2026.

3) Taylor under major pressure

The pressure is on Cincinnati's head coach. A defensible case could have been made for Zac Taylor's dismissal after 2025. Instead, he emerged as the only returning coach in the AFC North entering 2026. This time around, the usual excuses don't exist. The defense is improved, and if Burrow stays healthy, he has the pieces necessary to produce at an elite clip. If Cincy doesn't live up to the lofty expectations set by Burrow, the blame will fall on Taylor's shoulders. His team must succeed in 2026; there is no alternative.

Three key storylines

1) New era begins under Monken

After six seasons, the Browns sent Kevin Stefanski packing, terminating a two-time NFL Coach of the Year who produced Cleveland's only playoff win since the Browns returned as an expansion franchise in 1999. In the same breath, owner Jimmy Haslam opted to retain general manager Andrew Berry, touting the personnel chief's strong 2025 draft class (and strangely, ) as justification for keeping him around. Berry responded by compiling another draft class that has plenty of potential in 2026 and continues to rebuild the franchise after overseeing the worst decision made by a GM in the last 25 years (if not longer): trading three first-round picks for Deshaun Watson, who also received a fully guaranteed $230 million contract. Berry replaced Stefanski with veteran OC Todd Monken, who makes his head-coaching debut with a team that still isn't quite stocked for legitimate contention. Monken's arrival seems to have breathed new life into the young Browns, but with results pending, that's all we know about the Monken era as of now. The most important lesson we could learn from the Browns this year might be how much patience Haslam possesses, because it's unlikely this team will suddenly become a contender in 2026. It's up to Monken to get the most out of his players in his first season at the helm.

2) Serious QB questions

Cleveland is revamping its offensive approach -- which had become rather stale under Stefanski -- with Monken in charge and Travis Switzer serving as a first-time coordinator. A new scheme can't cover for a lack of reliability at quarterback, though. The Browns appear to be laying the groundwork for Watson to emerge from irrelevance and regain the starting job while 2025 fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders lurks in the shadows. How long Watson holds on to the reins is another story, but unless the 30-year-old pulls off a miracle and returns to his Houston form, Browns fans can prepare for another season filled with frustration under center -- which might play perfectly into a plan to select a top signal-caller in 2027's loaded draft.

3) How will defense look without Garrett and Schwartz?

Myles Garrett reset the single-season sack record in 2025, which proved to be his final campaign in brown and orange. Berry took a massive swing when he agreed to a forward-thinking trade with the Rams, sending Garrett to Los Angeles in exchange for young star edge rusher Jared Verse and a collection of picks that includes the Rams' 2027 first-round selection. Garrett's departure means the Browns lose 23 sacks worth of production from last season, plus a persistent concern carried by every opposing offense. Add in the departure of respected coordinator Jim Schwartz, and suddenly Cleveland's defense -- its better side in the last two challenging seasons -- harbors plenty of questions. Fortunately, the Browns still have some studs on that side of the ball: Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger, five-time Pro Bowl corner Denzel Ward, Verse and promising sophomore defensive tackle Mason Graham. But they're going to need to prove the personnel is strong enough to overcome a change in sideline leadership.

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Three key storylines

1) No guarantees in life post-Tomlin

Mike McCarthy is back in the NFL, having returned to his beloved hometown of Pittsburgh to lead a Steelers team that is taking on a much different appearance than usual. Instead of replacing one longtime coach with a young star, the Steelers opted for the veteran with Super Bowl experience in McCarthy, a move some interpreted as a ploy to convince Aaron Rodgers to return for a 22nd NFL season. If that was indeed the plan, it worked; whether it bears fruit, however, remains to be seen. McCarthy's track record of directing explosive offenses should encourage Steelers fans who have grown tired of watching low-ceiling units struggle to compete. So, too, should the acquisition of veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr. But much of this feels like it's held together by chicken wire, at least as of now. Pittsburgh's backup options behind Rodgers are longtime reserve Mason Rudolph, 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard and 2026 third-rounder Drew Allar. If crisis strikes at QB, visions of a playoff victory -- something the Steelers haven't achieved since the 2016 campaign -- will evaporate. Ideally, the McCarthy/Rodgers partnership evokes memories of their days in Green Bay. That's far from a guarantee -- along with the Steelers' annual assuredness to finish at or above .500, now that Mike Tomlin has left the coaching ranks for .

2) Run-game concerns

Pittsburgh became one of the leaders in the NFL's sudden shift toward tight end-reliant sets in 2025, leaning on the likes of Darnell Washington, Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward to beef up and bulldoze opposing defenses. Though Smith and Heyward are no longer on the roster, the first-round selection of Arizona State OT Max Iheanachor should help the ground game, but is the backfield good enough? Jaylen Warren is Pittsburgh's lead back, while Rico Dowdle arrives via free agency to give the Steelers an explosive weapon capable of posting a few huge days, as evidenced by his 389-yard outburst in Weeks 5 and 6 for Carolina last season. Kaleb Johnson, however, remains a question mark. The Iowa product averaged just 2.5 yards per carry on 28 attempts as a rookie and hasn't yet proven he can be counted on as a rugged power back. Pittsburgh will have the hogs to move defenses and create rushing lanes, but it will be up to McCarthy to deploy his personnel properly in order to stay on schedule and remain balanced -- especially with the largely immobile Rodgers in the lineup.

3) Graham to get D back on track?

Tomlin's departure meant the arrival of a new defensive coordinator, and McCarthy selected the experienced Patrick Graham as his new director. Pittsburgh's defense is paid well but hasn't lived up to expectations of late, finishing 26th in total D under former DC Teryl Austin in 2025. Graham's track record isn't a slam dunk, either; in his last three stops (Dolphins, Giants, Raiders), his defenses have hovered near league average, peaking at 12th in 2020 with New York and bottoming out at 30th with Miami in 2019. To his credit, Graham found some consistency amid dysfunction in Las Vegas over the last three seasons, guiding the Raiders to two 15th-place finishes in 2023 and '24 before improving slightly to 14th (but 25th in scoring D) in 2025. He'll have better talent in Pittsburgh, which means the true test of his expertise should arrive in 2026. Luckily, he's working under a coach with a reputation for leading potent offenses. If Graham can prove himself to be a worthy DC, then the Steelers might actually be in business.

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