Inside: Previewing the league’s most competitive division, where the Bears, Packers, Lions and Vikings all expect to make the playoffs. Is this the first year a division goes 4-for-4?

This article is from The Athletic’s NFL newsletter. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox. It’s free to subscribe. 

NFC North Preview

In 2025, the NFC North became the second division in modern history to have every team finish above .500. Yes, even the J.J. McCarthy-led Vikings had a winning record (9-8).

Chicago Bears

(11-6, lost in divisional round)

Headline change: Trading D.J. Moore. The receiver’s departure was bigger news than center Drew Dalman’s retirement, but the latter arguably hurt Chicago more (Dalman was coming off his first Pro Bowl and is just 27 years old). The Bears then traded with the Patriots for Garrett Bradbury (24th in PFF’s center rankings) and reached on center Logan Jones in the second round of April’s NFL Draft.

As for receiver, second-year player Luther Burden III is expected to step up. He dodged a major injury this weekend but will miss the remainder of the offseason with a groin strain.

Subtle change: Losing three safeties. The Bears defense was awful in 2025 but made up for it with a league-leading 33 takeaways. That’ll be hard to replicate with five new defensive backs. Chicago lost All-Pro safety Kevin Byard, safety Jaquan Brisker and slot corner C.J. Gardner-Johnson, among others. Adding former Seahawk Coby Bryant was a plus, but Bryant is sidelined into late fall with a knee injury.

Lingering question: Can the defense keep up? Coach Ben Johnson’s offense averaged 26 points and 370 yards per game. But his defense didn’t leave much margin for error (24.4 points, 362 yards per game), with one of the league’s worst pass rushes. I’m not confident this year’s unit is better.

Projection: 9-8. Bears fans seem torn after a remarkable 2025. The offense could be even better, but will the defense sink this team? A winnable schedule should have the Bears back in the postseason, where Chicago might need more plays like this:

Green Bay Packers

(9-7-1, lost in wild-card round)

Headline: Josh Jacobs arrested. Coach Matt LaFleur’s offense is predicated on a strong running game, which is in jeopardy with the star running back under investigation because of allegations of domestic violence. Jacobs practiced all offseason, but his status remains one of 10 big questions facing Green Bay. A suspension could still come.

Subtle: Jordan Morgan at left tackle. Morgan is a former first-round pick who is reverting to his college position to protect Jordan Love’s blindside. Concerns with his arm length are why he has played guard in the NFL, though he clearly showed enough in a Week 18 spot start at left tackle to gain the team’s trust. An overmatched offensive line cost this team last season, especially in its Week 3 upset loss to the Browns, so this is one to watch.

Question: How does the defense fare without Micah Parsons? The Packers finished 0-5 without Parsons last season. Their defensive success rate plummeted from 10th-best to 30th, and they allowed over 28 points per game. New DC Jonathan Gannon has shifted to a 3-4 base defense and could get Parsons back for Week 6 against the Cowboys. The latest on Parsons’ timetable is here.

Projection: 10-7. Green Bay was 9-3-1 and fifth in our Power Rankings before Parsons’ injury. Assuming they split the season series in their division, the Packers would need to beat the Dolphins, Saints, Panthers, Jets, Falcons, Buccaneers and Cowboys to finish with 10 wins. They should. This is still an uber-talented team.

Minnesota Vikings

(9-8 in 2025)

Headline: Kyler Murray at quarterback. Minnesota ranked 29th in passing yards per game, 30th in QB rating and 32nd in turnovers. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s debut season was so rough that the Vikings had to bring in Murray on a one-year deal, despite spending the 2024 No. 10 pick on McCarthy. Both are competing for the same goal: career revitalization.

Subtle: Defensive departures. Longtime safety Harrison Smith might not return for 2026, costing the Vikings defense its connective tissue, invaluable in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ chaotic schemes. Edge rusher Jonathan Greenard is now in Philly, and he was replaced by third-year Dallas Turner, who ended 2025 on a high.

Question: Can they run the ball? Murray’s addition adds a rushing element that coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense has lacked. Is it enough? The Vikings have been a below-average rushing team in each of O’Connell’s four seasons. Fixing that was the offseason focus.

Projection: 9-8. This is a good team with elite play callers on both sides of the ball. I’m just not confident that Murray elevates this offense all that much, which is necessary in a division with three teams that can score on anyone. But if Murray proves a strong match with O’Connell and Justin Jefferson, this team will be difficult to beat.

Detroit Lions

(9-8 in 2025)

Headline: New offensive coordinator. After John Morton failed to replicate Ben Johnson’s success, Detroit turned to Drew Petzing. The former Cardinals coordinator is expected to continue the under-center system with a heavy dose of play-action, a system better suited for Jared Goff than former Cardinals QB Kyler Murray.

Subtle: Offensive line changes. The once-strong Lions protection became a liability in 2025, ranking 31st in pass block win rate as Goff took a career-high 38 sacks. The running game was also impacted. So center Cade Mays was signed for $25 million to help, but a wrist injury will sideline him for eight to 10 weeks. Rookie first-round pick Blake Miller is still healthy, at least.

Question: How does their secondary fare? Over the past two seasons, this Lions defense has had the worst injury luck of any defense this century. It’s carried over to 2026. Detroit is likely to open the season without star safeties Brian Branch (Achilles injury) and Kerby Joseph (knee), while 2024 first-round cornerback Terrion Arnold was released because of off-field issues.

Projection: 12-5. A last-place finish gives Detroit the league’s easiest schedule. That, plus its talent on both sides of the ball, makes it a likely bounce-back season after falling from 15-2 to 9-8 last year. The Lions have significant questions, but they are my dark horse Super Bowl pick. The injury luck has to change eventually, right?

Extra Points

👀 Next Travis Hunter? A high school prospect plans to enroll in college at just 16 years old. The two-way star is inevitably drawing comparisons to the former Heisman winner. You read both sentences right.

📈 2026 Freaks. Reminder that Bruce Feldman’s annual list of the most athletic college football players is live, with Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith at No. 2.

💬 Hall of Fame speeches. What we heard from Larry Fitzgerald, Drew Brees and the other members of the 2026 class, including former 49ers RB Roger Craig, who shared he has been diagnosed with dementia.

📉 Laremy Tunsil out. The Commanders lost the league’s highest-paid offensive lineman to a triceps injury that might cost him the season.

▶️ Most-clicked: The Athletic’s most underrated fantasy options this season, including 49ers rookie De’Zhaun Stribling.

📫 Enjoyed this read? Sign up here to receive The Athletic’s free NFL newsletter in your inbox. 

Also, check out our other newsletters.