The Steelers are on the verge of securing a playoff spot and could clinch it as early as Saturday night.
If the Baltimore Ravens fall to the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, the Steelers will clinch the AFC North title, regardless of their outcome against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
If the Ravens actually lose, the Steelers could sit some starters against Cleveland to make sure they are healthy for the playoffs.
The Browns currently have a 3-12 record, which puts them in position to select No. 3 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Given that Cleveland has one of the weakest schedules in the NFL, it’s likely they would win any draft position tiebreakers with teams that have the same record.
Currently, five teams have secured three wins. The New York Giants and the Las Vegas Raiders, both with two wins, face off this Sunday. The winner of that game — barring any ties — will drop below the Browns in the draft order, assuming Cleveland loses to Pittsburgh.
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The Browns’ primary objective right now is to position themselves within the top two picks of the draft. This would allow them to select a franchise quarterback if they don’t believe rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is the solution.
If the Steelers rest some starters, like quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Browns might actually secure a win. This scenario could potentially drop them from the No. 2 draft position all the way to No. 6, especially if none of the other three win teams come out on top this weekend.
The upcoming quarterback draft class is expected to be weak, with potentially only two quarterbacks worth selecting in the first round. If Cleveland doesn’t secure a top-two pick, it likely won’t have a chance to draft one, which could mean waiting until 2027 for a viable option.
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If the Steelers want to secure a double win this weekend, they should be cheering for the Ravens to lose to the Packers and then to fall to the Browns. This way, the Steelers could grab a playoff spot while pushing Cleveland out of position to draft a quarterback.
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Featured image via Oct 12, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) attempts to run the ball while Cleveland Browns defensive end Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (90) pursues during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium.