NFC North outlook
Chicago
It is really boring and cliché to say, but it is so true with the Bears: it all rides with their young quarterback. Every year before camp, I try to tell myself “don’t get too high or low on players based on clips you see from camp.”
Caleb Williams really is testing that with some of his lowlights from Chicago so far this training camp. The most “yikes” one being him missing all the throws to the net, including not hitting the net at all on his last one. Perhaps most concerning is his reaction to those few throws.
Ben Johnson, the offensive genius of the offseason coaching cycle, has the pedigree of putting together top-tier attacks. The Bears went hard and heavy to improve their offensive line. It is all there for Williams and Chicago to take a step forward.
Just those clips of Williams make me question if they or he can.
Detroit
The loss of two coordinators is going to loom large in Detroit. Dan Campbell is an unquestionable culture builder with the Lions. His turnaround of the franchise (and personally from a unique introductory press conference) is a great story.
With the departures of Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, this is his chance to show that the Lions are established enough to continue their upward climb.
I for one question if they will. Losing two top-notch coordinators is no easy hurdle to clear and I think of Matt Ryan following his MVP and Super Bowl appearance losing Arthur Smith and how he regressed.
Detroit is still wildly talented, but I don’t think the No. 1 seed is in the cards for them. The coordinators, plus the untimely retirement of Glasgow will prove to be too much to overcome.
Green Bay
They seem to be the forgotten team in the NFC North.
Chicago with Ben Williams and Caleb Williams entering his second year get lots of coverage
Detroit was the No. 1 seed a year ago and Minnesota gets the JJ McCarthy coverage.
Green Bay, however, just keeps churning and is my pick to win the division heading into the first full week of the preseason.
Matthew Golden will provide Green Bay with a true No. 1, which makes their talented group of No. 2s that much better.
Jordan Love is entering his third season as the starter and is poised to have the breakout campaign that puts him on the “elite” tier or close to it.
So keep sleeping on the Packers at your own risk. The cheeseheads will make some big noise in 2025.
Minnesota
Regression is almost guaranteed.
Coming off a 14-3 season that saw Sam Darnold magically transform into an MVP candidate and Pro Bowl player, repeating that record is not a realistic goal for the men in purple.
McCarthy had his rookie season wiped out in the preseason with a knee injury last year, paving the way for Darnold’s resurgence. He is going to go through the growing pains the Vikings were planning on last year.
If I am a Vikings fan, I am looking for a year similar to Detroit had where at the end of the season they beat Green Bay in Green Bay to effectively end the Aaron Rodgers era.
They still have the best receiver in the game in Justin Jefferson and by the end of the season, McCarthy and him will provide enough highlights to make Minnesota a darling heading into 2026.
Just not this year.
