The NFC North is arguably the best division in the National Football League. The Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers won a combined 40 games last season, but couldn't convert that into a single playoff win.
This year, all four teams including the Chicago Bears have major aspirations to not just make the playoffs, but also win the division. As things draw closer, we take a look at the biggest questions for each team, as they could shape the division race.
Minnesota Vikings beat writer Tyler Forness: Can J.J. McCarthy duplicate Sam Darnold's success?
It's the one that everybody knows exists surrounding the Vikings. Can they take things to another level with McCarthy at quarterback? It's going to be the defining choice of the careers of Kevin O'Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, especially after letting Sam Darnold walk.
The good thing for the Vikings is they don't have to worry about McCarthy being the guy on the team. They have made the roster quarterback proof so all McCarthy has to do is go in and be an average player in his first season, which could immediately lead to 11 wins. If he is a better than average player, the Vikings could vault up and take things to another level.
Green Bay Packers beat writer Wendell Ferreira: Is the cornerback room good enough?
There were some fair questions about the Packers' defensive front as well, but there is more room for improvement at those positions with former high-picks like Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, and Devonte Wyatt. With the CBs, especially after the decision to release Jaire Alexander, the talent level is questionable at best.
The Packers are basically betting on a premise that CB is a weak-link system, presuming that Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs, and Carrington Valentine are all viable starters. There are obvious risks with that approach, especially if one of them gets hurt—and Hobbs, the significant free agent addition, has some injury history. The good news is that Jaire barely played over the past two years anyway, and losing Eric Stokes and Corey Ballentine isn't a big deal. With a similar group, and even without Hobbs, Jeff Hafley made it all work last year. The point here is how sustainable that is.
Chicago Bears beat writer Kole Noble: Can revamped offensive line hold up
After replacing three of the five starters, and potentially a fourth if Braxton Jones loses the left tackle position, many believe all of the Bears problems up-front were alleviated. While the Bears certainly improved the talent on the offensive line with Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson, the depth can easily present some problems if any of the starting five go down.
Let’s not forget that not all of the pressure and sack problems were caused by the offensive line. Quarterback Caleb Williams had his own share of the blame for the 68 sacks in 2024. Has he proven to put those issues in the past as well? Not to be the pessimist here, but I’m not completely sold the offensive line was fully revamped outside of a few high-level starters.
Detroit Lions beat writer Mike Payton: Can the Lions overcome loss of Frank Ragnow?
I have no doubt that the Lions have one of the best offensive line coaches in the NFL in Hank Fraley, but losing Ragnow and even Kevin Zeitler is a big deal. The Lions went from having the league's best offensive line to a group that’s really young and unproven.
At this point, we don’t know who’s starting at center, and then the Lions have essentially three rookie guards to figure out for the rest of the interior. It’s a huge question.
