Bengals

Bengals QB Joe Burrow enters the seventh year of his career and is looking to get back to the Super Bowl after leading them there in 2021. Burrow reflected on the 2021 season, mentioning that he thinks this year’s team is more versatile. 

“I think I can. I think that’s kind of what we did in 2021 and that was my first 70% season,” Burrow said, via Geoff Hobson of the team’s site. “We’re going to draw back and throw it, but I think we’re more versatile this year on offense. Where you know we can win in several different ways. I think our defense will allow us to be able to be versatile in that way. We’re not going to have to go and throw it 60 times every game to go and win it. We’ll certainly have to at some point, and we will. But I think we’re in a much better spot as a team where we can win in a lot of different ways.”

Burrow reiterated that they won’t need to be a pass-happy team to be successful. 

“The stats might not be there because I think we’re a better team, and we’re not going to have to throw it 600 something times. I don’t think we’re going to have to do that,” Burrow said. “I’m ready for it if we need to, and the fact that we have that under our belt can help us win games like that. We’ve played so many different ways over the years that whatever the defense throws at us, we’re going to be ready for it.”

Burrow mentioned that part of their 2021 success included him breaking for runs on third downs and late in games. 

“A big part of the games in that year was me running the football on third down at the end of games,” Burrow said. “Get back to that a little bit. Run the ball, play-action first and second down, and then third down is where I get to go and make a play. I know I have to take on that role.”

Ravens

Ravens RB Derrick Henry is 10th all-time in rushing going into the 2026 season with 13,018 yards. A typical season would push him all the way to No. 6 on the list (Curtis Martin, 14,101 yards), and a classic peak Henry season could propel him past Adrian Peterson at No. 5 (14,918 yards). Henry has had over 1,900 yards rushing twice in his career. 

The No. 1 spot is held by Emmitt Smith (18,355 yards), who played for 15 seasons and until he was 35 years old. Henry is 32, which is well past the age when running backs start fielding retirement questions. But he says chasing the all-time rushing record isn’t going to be a factor in his decision. 

“I don’t see myself stopping no time soon,” Henry said via Ryan Mink of the team website. “If I get there, that would be cool. If not, it wasn’t meant to be. I’m not trying to hang my hat on chasing that record. If it happens, it happens. But like I said, I feel good and I want to keep going as long as I can.”

• Ravens K Tyler Loop talked about the team signing K Jake Moody to the practice squad and explained why he’s embracing the competition: “It’s the weirdest thing, but I almost am kind of glad that the situation’s happening. I think it makes everyone better. Love competition. It’s a good thing. Talking about competition breeds success and I’ve had a lot of fun with it.” (Jamison Hensley)

Steelers

Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers said he returned for another season with Pittsburgh because he believes they’re a Super Bowl-caliber team.

“I like the roster as a whole,” Rodgers said, via PFT. “We have good veteran leadership. It’s just about going out there and doing it. I feel like the AFC is very deep. Even our own division has a number of teams with Super Bowl aspirations, which is great.”

Rodgers downplayed any past tension between he and HC Mike McCarthy.

“If anything ever happened, it happened like once or twice, like two or three times, maybe,” Rodgers said, via Steelers Wire. “Then Monday, I’d go in there and we’d talk about it. We’d hug it out, and it’d be kind of like, ‘I love you, man. I love you too, man. I’m just a competitor. I’m just getting mad in the moment. Sorry.‘”