The NFC North became arguably the top division in the NFL last season by posting the best win percentage — .662 — by a division since 2002, when the format changed to four divisions in each conference.
But accolades stopped when the postseason began as all three NFC North playoff teams were eliminated in their first game.
That disappointment was followed by an active offseason with the Chicago Bears hiring Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to be their head coach. There were players added, lucrative contract extensions and a surprise retirement.
Bears reporter Courtney Cronin, Packers reporter Rob Demovsky, Vikings reporter Kevin Seifert and Lions reporter Eric Woodyard break down a division that is expected to remain strong. The NFC North is the only division in which all four teams have at least a 35% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN Analytics.
As far as who’s the favorite, ESPN BET offers the following result: Lions win their third straight, followed by the Packers, Bears and Vikings.
Which QB has the most to prove?
Cronin: Jordan Love. The Packers gave Love a $220 million contract ($55 million a year) last July after he turned in a strong second half during his first season as a starter in 2023. That salary alone demands better, more consistent play from a quarterback entering his sixth season in the NFL (third as a starter), and it’s problematic that the same concerns around his game continue to surface.
It’s difficult to assess how much of that was due to injury — he missed two full games — versus regression in 2024, but with the same offense, same playcaller and upgraded offensive weapons, Love doesn’t get any more passes. The playoffs are the expectation in Green Bay.
Demovsky: J.J. McCarthy. The national narrative has been that Love regressed in Year 2 as a starter — something both Love and Packers coach Matt LaFleur have pushed back on this offseason — but he’s probably No. 3 on the NFC North quarterback prove-it list behind McCarthy and the Bears’ Caleb Williams.
It seems like the expectation is that the coaching change in Chicago will mean Williams flips the switch, but the reality is there’s a grace period there with a new coach, so give that time.
But McCarthy should be at the top of this list because the Vikings have been — and are expected to remain — a playoff team despite turning to a quarterback who hasn’t played an NFL snap yet.
Seifert: Williams. It has been wild to see so much national optimism about McCarthy, who has yet to participate in a regular-season practice, much less play in a regular-season game. But unlike Williams, McCarthy doesn’t have the perception of a rookie season deficit to overcome.
Williams performed well below expectations in 2024, and the Bears were aggressive in giving him a better roster and coaching infrastructure. It’s time to find out if he can be a transcendent player.
Woodyard: Jared Goff. After a historic 2024 regular season, during which he reached career highs in touchdowns (37) and QBR (68.4) — it all ended in disappointment with a stunning upset loss to the Washington Commanders in the NFC divisional round. Goff accounted for four of the team’s five turnovers in that game, including three interceptions and a lost fumble.
So the question remains: Can Goff help the team win a Super Bowl? He has yet to prove that despite all of his individual success.
Which front office won the offseason?
Cronin: Bears. Chicago flipped its biggest weakness — the offensive line — into a strength by acquiring center Drew Dalman and guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson via trades.
But the Bears’ front office won the offseason when it landed the most sought-after coach this cycle in Johnson. The key to everything working in Chicago is rooted in a complete overhaul of philosophy and culture, which starts at the top.
The change was reflected by sparing no cost ($13 million per year) to land the coach it believes will finally make this team a contender. But Chicago has won the offseason before — now it needs to carry that over.
Demovsky: Bears. It has to be the Bears, but then again, it feels like they’ve won offseasons before and it hasn’t meant much.
But not only did the Bears land the hottest coaching candidate on the market, they did so while weakening a division rival by stripping the Lions of their hot-shot offensive coordinator.
Seifert: Vikings. Minnesota surrounded McCarthy with one of the most experienced rosters in the league, courtesy of a cash expenditure of $341 million for 2025, according to Roster Management System.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah elevated multiple areas of weakness by acquiring three new starters for the offensive line and two for the defensive line, along with a skilled No. 2 running back in Jordan Mason.
Although some of the new veterans have recent injury histories, there are few holes in the presumptive starting lineup.
Woodyard: Bears. Chicago has added one of the league’s most creative minds in Johnson. He knows his stuff, and players will respect that right away. Johnson should be able to get the best out of Williams, as he did to help fuel the resurgence of Goff’s career.
Chicago also surrounded Williams with talent across the board, which should help them take a massive leap in 2025.
Which key assistant coach is most likely to be in the 2026 head coaching cycle?
Cronin: Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. If the Vikings’ defense performs as well as it did in 2024 (tied for first in turnovers, second in EPA/play, fifth in points allowed), expect Flores’ name to once again circulate in the head coaching cycle.
Flores interviewed for three jobs last year — Bears, Jets, Jaguars — and has been a head coach before with Dolphins. Whether teams have the desire to hire Flores with his ongoing lawsuit against the NFL and the public fallout from his relationship with Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (especially teams that have young QBs or are looking to draft one) remains to be seen.
Demovsky: Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. He’s already been a head coach, albeit at the college level. He gave up the Boston College job to return to the NFL last season, and his impact in Green Bay was immediate.
The Packers’ oft-shaky run defense allowed the seventh-fewest rushing yards in the NFL, its highest ranking in 15 years, and also was top-10 in fewest points allowed, yards allowed and takeaways. He already interviewed for at least one NFL head coaching job when the Jets brought him in this past offseason.
Seifert: Vikings quarterbacks coach Josh McCown. As wild as it sounds, the 2024 season was McCown’s first full season as an NFL assistant coach. He opted against interviewing for offensive coordinator positions, but still got an interview for the New York Jets’ head coaching job.
McCown has long been on the league’s radar, having interviewed for the Houston Texans’ top job in 2022, and if McCarthy performs well in 2025, McCown might be able to skip the coordinator level altogether.
Woodyard: Lions assistant head/wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery. Detroit’s coaching staff has been gutted since last season, and Montgomery is making the switch from coaching the running backs to the wide receivers.
He has said his ultimate goal is to become an NFL head coach, and he has put in the work.
For the past two seasons, Montgomery’s leadership has played a key role in turning the Lions’ ground attack into one of the most prolific in league history, with running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery becoming the first duo to each rush for at least 10 touchdowns in consecutive seasons in 2023 and 2024. That’s no small feat, and if he’s able to continue that production with the wide receivers, he certainly could be in the next head coaching cycle as a name to watch.
Who will be the best rookie in the NFC North?
Cronin: Bears tight end Colston Loveland. Teams don’t draft tight ends in the top 10 without expecting them to make an immediate impact. With Johnson calling the shots, Loveland could be the type of weapon that Sam LaPorta was for the Lions as a rookie (10 touchdowns).
Fellow Chicago tight end Cole Kmet said the Bears want to be the best 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TEs) team in the NFL. Securing the top tight end in the draft is one way to ensure that goal becomes a reality, and the outlet Loveland will provide Williams in the passing game is critical for the quarterback making a leap in his second season.
Demovsky: Packers receiver Matthew Golden. When you’re the first receiver your team has drafted in Round 1 since 2002, you’d better show it was worth it. And Golden has the opportunity to do just that.
The receiver picked No. 23 overall by the Packers should get plenty of playing time right away, especially considering receiver Christian Watson’s knee injury will keep him out at the start of the season. As soon as Golden arrived for the Packers’ offseason program, he seemed to immediately jell with Love.
Seifert: Loveland. The Bears still have Kmet on the roster, so Loveland’s immediate impact could be limited. But by the end of the season, one way or another, Loveland will have emerged as a force in Johnson’s offense — much as LaPorta did for the Lions in 2023. Loveland will be too good to keep off the field, and he’ll be an important option for Williams.
Woodyard: Loveland. He reminds me of LaPorta, and we all saw how that worked out for Detroit in his rookie season, when he set an NFL rookie tight end record with 86 receptions with Johnson as his OC.
Name an unheralded player or unit that will impact the division title?
Cronin: The Vikings’ offensive line. No one truly knows how well McCarthy will fare under pressure until we see how he handles an NFL pass rush, so the Vikings went out and signed a new center (Ryan Kelly) and right guard (Will Fries), and used their first-round pick on left guard Donovan Jackson. An upgraded unit around McCarthy in his first season bodes well for the success of the Vikings’ offense.
Demovsky: The Bears’ offensive line. Chicago had to do something to help Williams, who was sacked a league-high 68 times last season. The Bears should have three new starters on the line with the addition of Thuney, Jackson and Dalman. This could give Williams the chance to show why he was the first overall pick in the 2024 draft.
Seifert: Whoever starts at center for the Lions. Frank Ragnow’s retirement left the team without one of the key cogs in its run to the playoffs the past two seasons, and there isn’t an obvious successor. But whether it’s veteran Graham Glasgow, second-round draft pick Tate Ratledge or someone else, Ragnow’s replacement will be a key leverage point for the Lions’ chances to win the division for the third consecutive year.
Woodyard: Ratledge. Ragnow was one of two NFL centers selected to the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons, and his retirement puts a huge load on everyone else. But Ratledge could be ready to contribute immediately.
In fact, Ratledge was taking first-team reps at center during the last day of the Lions’ offseason program, although several players were limited or absent. Regardless, Ratledge is earning the respect of his teammates and the coaching staff with his professionalism after an All-America career at Georgia.
