The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a good stretch within the AFC North division since it was launched for the 2002 NFL season. The Baltimore Ravens have also been competitive, and the Cincinnati Bengals have had their moments as well. The team that has been at the bottom of the totem pole for the better part of two decades is the Cleveland Browns. Despite never winning an AFC North Title, the organization's fans have believed that they are superior because of a playoff win over Pittsburgh during the 2020 season. While this is true, the franchise seems to remain is disarray as the 2025 offseason has gone on.
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Cleveland Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski looks in the distance as he stands on the sidelines during a professional football game.
With the NFL schedule release commencing on Wednesday evening, it is normally a great time for team's social media folks to get creative on digital platforms. This is something that happens each year. Some organizations nail their online presence, while others tend to occasionally make a fool out of themselves. Despite finishing with a record of 3-14 in 2024, the Browns decided to take a swipe at the Steelers on Wednesday when comparing gifs to their 2025 opponents.
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 14, 2025
The social media team is clearly referring to Pittsburgh currently being a dumpster fire, and it's hard to imagine that the thought process behind the post was directly correlated to the Steelers' quarterback situation. The ironic part is that Cleveland has five signal-callers currently involved in the locker room with Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
The franchise has faced plenty of backlash for drafting Gabriel ahead of Sanders, but then deciding to go ahead and pick Sanders later on regardless. The post isn't just hypocritical, it's tasteless because of the current state of Cleveland's organization. It makes it even more embarrassing that the Browns are coming off of a horrific season and made a horrible decision to trade for Watson a couple of seasons ago.
There's no doubt that the Steelers are in an intriguing spot when it comes to the quarterback room, but it can be argued that there isn't a more confusing one in the entire league than what Cleveland currently is dealing with. On top of that, Pittsburgh hasn't had a losing season since 2003; the Browns have had 18 since the 2004 campaign began.
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns Executive Vice President of Football Operations Andrew Berry hangs out with Head Coach Kevin Stefanski in an office at the team's facility.
With the Watson contract all out of whack, the Browns also saw their best player in Myles Garrett publicly request a trade on social media at the beginning of the 2025 offseason. This brought negative media attention to the franchise, and then it decided to pay him $40 million per year in a new deal. It simply seems like everything Cleveland does ends up messy one way or another, which some would recognize as... a dumpster fire.
The Browns have a long way to go to earn the respect of Steelers fans. The Ravens and Bengals have proven that they can compete at a consistent and elite level, but Cleveland has come nowhere close to earning any kind of praise. While there is no love lost between any of the AFC North franchises, Pittsburgh may hold the most animosity towards the Browns due to an odd cockiness that has never truly been earned.
The Steelers did lose a contest to Cleveland in 2024, but one organization was 10-7 with a trip to the postseason, and another decided to pass on a generational prospect is Travis Hunter, simply to later on select two quarterbacks, which led to a five-person room. It's all of a bit of a confusing situation for a team that has not done much at all in the 21st century.
Christopher Hanewinckel / USA Today Sports / Reuters
Former Colorado Buffalo Travis Hunter laughs while on the field during a game in 2024.
Steelers Will Look To Sweep Browns In 2025
While Pittsburgh doesn't have a legitimate answer regarding the quarterback room just yet, the team in the Steel City is much more talented on paper than the one in Cleveland. If Head Coach Mike Tomlin's group is expecting to surprise some people in 2025, it will be imperative to take down the Browns in both divisional games. Time will tell, but the Browns' social media team is a little out of touch based on Wednesday's activity.
Do you think that the Browns have the right to spite the Steelers? Let us know in the comments below!
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