NFC North Even Stronger In 2025 Than It Was Last Season
The NFC North was widely recognized as the best division in the NFL during the regular season a year ago. The Lions, Vikings and Packers all fell woefully short in the postseason, but don't think for a second that this division has lost any of its luster. The NFC North is likely to be stronger than it was a year ago.
Start with the Lions, who are coming off a 15-2 season and were the favorites at the start of the postseason because of the way quarterback Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown dominated during the regular season. However, defensive injuries turned out to be their undoing in the divisional playoff loss to the upstart Washington Commanders.
The most profound of those injuries was suffered by defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. His season ended when he broke his tibia and fibula in a Week Six blowout victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Despite that injury, Hutchinson still led the Lions with 7.5 sacks last season.
If he stays healthy, head coach Dan Campbell should be able to expect at least 12 sacks from Hutchinson, who is likely to join Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson as one of the best pass rushers in the league.
The Lions lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to the Chicago Bears and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to the New York Jets. Those losses will have an impact and new offensive coordinator John Morton and fellow defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard will get tested, but it helps when they have some of the best talent in the league. The Lions are ready for another big season.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell knows he has to find a way to get past Dan Campbell and the ... More Lions. (Photo by)
The Vikings were 14-3 and a brilliant team last season. However, when they met the Lions in the decisive regular-season finale and the Rams the following week in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, they fell apart and their season came to an abrupt end.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah addressed a major weakness on the interior offensive line and added strength to the defensive front. Major holes were addressed.
However, the big issue is at quarterback where J.J. McCarthy takes over as the team's QB1. He missed all of last season with a torn meniscus and was last seen leading Michigan to the national championship during the 2023 season.
A college phenom has been anointed as the team's starting quarterback. That move couldn't possibly fail, could it? Of course it could. However, head coach Kevin O'Connell may be the league's foremost quarterback expert – fully acknowledge that Chiefs boss Andy Reid has some support in that area – and he has full confidence in McCarthy.
If O'Connell is right, the Vikings could turn out to be phenomenal this season. They will have a chance to beat out the Lions and stake a claim at a Super Bowl run.
The Green Bay Packers are generally considered the third team in the NFC North, but if head coach Matt LaFleur gets just a bit of an upgrade from his wide receiver crew, the Packers will be able to make a run at the Lions and Vikings.
The key to that improvement appears to be rookie Matthew Golden, who has game-breaking speed. The former Texas Longhorn and Jayden Reed both have the kind of explosiveness that could make the passing game very dangerous.
The Packers had a surge in the second half of the season that saw them win five of six games, and that was enough to help them make the playoffs. Jordan Love has established himself as a solid NFL starter, but after Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, that's not good enough. The Packers want Love to show that he is elite.
The addition of Josh Jacobs at running back last year was a great move. He rushed for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns and there is room for improvement in 2025.
The Chicago Bears hired Johnson away from the Lions after he did an excellent job in building one of the most explosive offenses in the league. His primary job is to help 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams become a consistent NFL quarterback.
This could be a very difficult assignment because Williams tends to hold on to the football for an extra half-second, and that can be fatal in the NFL. In addition to his timing being off with his receivers, his health is in jeopardy because of the extra hits he will take throughout the 17-game season.
Johnson has been working with him on getting rid of the ball on time, but that's the kind of issue that is very tough to resolve in the fourth quarter of close games. Holding on to the ball is ingrained in Williams, and it is a difficult change to make.
A winning season is possible for the Bears, but finding a way to compete on even terms with their division opponents seems like too much to ask.
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