The Cleveland Browns have arguably the worst quarterback situation in the AFC North right now, but the gap may be narrower than it seems. Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson are perennial MVP candidates, but Aaron Rodgers is way past his prime. The Browns may not have a starting quarterback yet, but they should at least be on the same tier as Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Of course, it would be even better if either Burrow or Jackson were to one day leave the division. With the latest rumblings surrounding Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, that might actually be a real possibility.
Considering that, FanSided's Wynston Wilcox predicted the Atlanta Falcons could reset their underwhelming quarterback room by going after the former MVP. Ironically, Kevin Stefanski would be giving his former team one final parting gift in this hypothetical trade:
"Jackson in Atlanta would have no choice but to work out. With Stefanski’s game plan and the weapons the Falcons have, it would instantly make them a dangerous team. Now it’s hard to say how they’d compare to the rest of the NFC with the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers all playoff favorites from the NFC West division," wrote Wilcox.
A Lamar Jackson departure would dramatically reshape the AFC North
Jackson has yet to get a contract extension, and he's scheduled to have a cap hit of $84.3 million next season. That gives him all the leverage in contract talks, and the Ravens may have no choice but to trade him if they can't get a deal done. Otherwise, Jackson could leave after the 2027 season.
In Wilcox's mock scenario, the Falcons send Michael Penix Jr., two first-round draft picks, and a 2027 third-rounder in exchange for Jackson.
Stefanski has a reputation as an offensive guru, though that never seemed to be the case in Cleveland. The Browns only finished in the top 10 in scoring offense once over his six years at the helm, and that came with Joe Flacco at quarterback.
Of course, Stefanski never had a Lamar Jackson in Cleveland, so he'd probably fare better in Atlanta. Regardless, all that matters for the Browns is that one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history would be out of the division.
Through 15 career games against the Browns, Jackson has posted a 96.6 passer rating with 2,737 yards, 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also has 770 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns, leading the Ravens to a 10-5 rivalry record.
The Ravens getting two additional first-round picks would obviously be a concern, especially given their intriguing young coaching staff under Jesse Minter. Still, that's a bridge the Browns would have to cross if and when they get there.
A move like this would inevitably lead to regression for the Ravens, and they wouldn't be Super Bowl contenders with Michael Penix Jr. at the top of their depth chart. The Steelers would also struggle to get by without a franchise quarterback, and the Bengals could be the next AFC North team to fire its head coach if Zac Taylor gets off to another slow start in 2026.
The Browns are a team on the rise, and with the rest of the division reaching inflection points, it may not be long before they're competing for AFC North titles. Lamar Jackson has tormented this team for way too long already, and a hypothetical trade like this may be the only way Stefanski could redeem himself in the eyes of Browns fans.
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