The NFC North was an absolute bloodbath in 2024, and it looks to be just as competitive next year. The Green Bay Packers landed solidly in third place in the division after going 1-5 against NFC North opponents, but that was still good enough to secure them a playoff birth. With changes in rosters and coaching staffs there are infinite possibilities for how things could shake out next year, but for now we can project what next season might look like.

Detroit Lions

There’s absolutely no telling what the loss of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will mean for the Lions in 2025, but for now it seems like a safe bet to say they could just be set to repeat as the top dogs in the north. With arguably the most talented roster in the division and no shortage of a “next man up” mentality when they face injuries, this is a scary team with or without Ben Johnson calling the plays. Add to that a very capable Aiden Hutchinson returning from a season ending injury and wanting to wreak havoc and we might have a scary team on our hands.

Lions will need to retain at least a few key free agents on a long list that includes guard Kevin Zeitler, linebacker Levi Onwuzurike, wide receiver Tim Patrick, cornerback Carlton Davis, amongst many others, but if they can figure that out they’ll be alright. Overall its tough to say that anyone can dethrone a team that looked as good as Detroit did last season, despite how close Minnesota may have gotten. So with that, I’ll stick to saying the Lions will remain number one, though they could be dethroned by my projected number two team.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers are a tough team to rank for several reasons. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley didn’t end up leaving for a head coaching gig like some people feared so he will enter year two of his system with the Packers. The Packers are preparing to attack free agency and as general manager Brian Gutekunst put it, this team is ready to start competing for championships. Whether or not Jordan Love can improve will be the main factor in the Packers’ success, but for what its worth I think he will. The sky is the limit for this Packers team, but I think the pieces are in place for them to land in second place in the NFC North in 2025.

Chicago Bears

The Bears are an interesting team to say the least. I think this team is gearing up to be very successful, and that may take another year or two to start, but it could also happen sooner than we think. New head coach Ben Johnson might just be the next offensive guru in this league, and the Bears have a talented young quarterback to mold into one of the next greats. The Chicago Bears, even after an abysmal stretch in 2024, look like a fringe playoff team. The Bears have a good young core on both sides of the ball and they’re not slated to lose any of their major talent to free agency besides Keenan Allen, and they could even benefit if they look to get younger at wide receiver.

Overall almost nothing the Bears do this season would be all that surprising, short of winning the North of course, I don’t think they’re quite there yet.

Minnesota Vikings

Yeah, I get it. The Vikings are coming off of an impressive 14 win season and they looked fantastic all year, why do I have them slated to come in last place in the division? The short answer is that I expect this division to be more competitive than last year, every team could even end up finishing with at least seven or eight wins. The long answer is that the Vikings could regress greatly next year. They’re set to lose several key free agents, and they could be in a transition period in the quarterback room. Overall the Vikings have great talent, but some of their key players are getting up there in age, and after an abysmal playoff loss they might just be gearing towards a short downslide before they retool and get back in position to compete in the NFC North.