The NFC North doesn’t look like a division handing out easy wins in 2026. Last season, all four teams finished above .500, and both the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions still wound up on the outside of the postseason picture despite ending up at the bottom of the standings. That kind of finish has set up a year where nobody in the division can afford to think they’re out of the race.
Detroit enters the season with a roster that still stacks up well against the rest of the group. Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St.
Brown, Sam LaPorta and Penei Sewell all have a case to be the best at their spots in the division on offense. On the other side of the ball, Aidan Hutchinson and the pairing of Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph bring the same kind of top-end argument.
That doesn’t mean the Lions are guaranteed anything. The issue in Detroit is consistency, and that was the same conversation a year ago when the roster looked strong on paper. If the offense settles in and delivers steadier production, the Lions should be right back in the thick of the division chase.
That matters even more in a year when the rest of the NFC North has plenty going on.
Chicago made a series of notable moves, adding C Garrett Bradbury, LB Devin Bush, S Coby Bryant, DT Neville Gallimore and WR Kalif Raymond while losing C Drew Dalman, WR D.J. Moore, LB Tremaine Edmunds, S Kevin Byard and S Jonathan Owens.
The biggest question there is Caleb Williams, who took a clear step forward in his second season and showed that his creativity translates just fine after concerns about it in year one. With former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson now leading the way, the Bears are trying to repeat in the division.
Moore’s departure stings, but Chicago is counting on Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. The surprise retirement of Dalman pushed the Bears to move quickly for Bradbury, and if the offensive line holds up, they’ll be dangerous again.
After last year’s run, though, nobody will be sneaking up on them.
Green Bay’s offseason brought its own set of shifts. The Packers added DL Javon Hargrave, CB Benjamin St.
Juste, LB Zaire Franklin and WR Skyy Moore, while losing OT Rasheed Walker, OL Elgton Jenkins, WR Romeo Doubs, EDGE Rashan Gary, WR Dontayvion Wicks and QB Malik Willis. The big storyline there is Micah Parsons, who is expected to miss the start of the year while rehabbing a torn ACL after the team’s huge move for him at the start of last season.
That leaves the Packers searching for pass-rush production, with Lukas Van Ness as one possible answer after Gary was dealt to Dallas. They also have to absorb the losses of Walker, Jenkins, Doubs and Wicks, and Josh Jacobs remains a question mark after being under investigation even though he practiced during offseason work.
Still, Jordan Love gives them stability at quarterback, and Green Bay is banking on a second-year jump from Matthew Golden.
Minnesota took a different route. The Vikings added QB Kyler Murray, WR Jauan Jennings, CB James Pierre, DL Isiahh Loudermilk and P Johnny Hekker, while losing EDGE Jonathan Greenard, WR Jalen Nailor, RB Ty Chandler and DL Javon Hargrave.
After a step back in 2025, they reshaped their quarterback room and brought in Murray to compete with 2024 top-10 pick J.J. McCarthy.
For now, Murray appears to have the edge. He brings upside and a track record, even if injuries have slowed him in recent years.
If Kevin O’Connell can get the most out of him, the pairing with Justin Jefferson could be dangerous. Minnesota did lose some defensive pieces, but most of the offseason was quiet.
The real question is whether the Murray gamble pays off, because that choice could end up defining their 2026 season.
For Detroit, the path is clear enough. The Lions still may have the best roster in the NFC North, but they’ll need to play like it on a more consistent basis.
Last season, they dropped four division games for the first time since Campbell’s first year. That kind of slip has not been the norm under Dan Campbell, and getting back to their usual level inside the division would go a long way toward putting Detroit back on top and giving them another playoff run.
In Other News...
One Lions Lineman Suddenly Feels Far Less Safe In Camp
Juice Scruggs arrived in Detroit with a chance to carve out a useful role on the interior offensive line, and for much of camp he still looks like the kind of reserve a team wants to keep around. He can help at center and has been part of the conversation at guard, which normally would make him a fairly sturdy piece of the depth chart for a team trying to protect itself over a long season.
But the Lions have built real competition inside, and that is where Scruggs' situation gets tricky. Christian Mahogany, Miles Frazier, Ben Bartch, Giovanni Manu, Colby Sorsdal, Michael Niese and Seth McLaughlin are all in the mix, and when a roster has that much traffic at one spot, even a player with a legitimate backup case can feel the pressure if camp goes sideways. [Read more 🡒]
Ranking The Lions Core With The Best Hall Of Fame Shot
The conversation around the Lions long-term core usually starts with the obvious present-day stars, but the Hall of Fame lens adds a different kind of intrigue. Detroit has built a roster with players who already have the kind of rsum markers that get attention in these debates, from Jahmyr Gibbs early explosiveness to Aidan Hutchinsons pass-rush ceiling, along with Amon-Ra St. Browns early production and Jared Goffs steady climb toward major career benchmarks.
Penei Sewell sits at the center of that discussion, and it is hard to ignore how quickly he has become the kind of foundational piece evaluators use when they start projecting legacy rather than just impact. The bigger question for Detroit is not whether the roster has elite talent, but which of these players can keep stacking seasons, honors and milestones long enough to turn a promising core into something with a real Canton case. [Read more 🡒]
NFL Insiders Just Reignited The Jared Goff Respect Debate
ESPNs latest quarterback rankings for 2026 put Jared Goff right back in familiar territory, with NFL executives, coaches and scouts slotting the Lions passer ninth among the leagues best. It was a steady showing for Goff, who drew praise for his mechanics, toughness and decision-making, and it matched his standing from the previous year as Detroit continues to lean on his steadiness at the position.
The list also offered a fresh snapshot of the NFC North pecking order, with Caleb Williams cracking the top 10 for the first time and Jordan Love again settling for honorable mention. For Goff, the broader takeaway is that the league still sees him as one of the more dependable quarterbacks in football, even if the debate around exactly where he belongs never quite goes away. [Read more 🡒]