A capsule look at the NFC North heading into the 2026 season, with teams listed in predicted order of finish.
Detroit Lions
BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl: 18-1; Over-under win total: 10.5
Strengths: Scoring points. Sure, 2025 was a massive disappointment, and the offensive line has required some reassembly since then, and the luxury of RB2 David Montgomery is no more. But new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is still inheriting a unit that features Jared Goff throwing to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and tight end Sam LaPorta, when Jahmyr Gibbs isn’t tearing up defenses on the ground. Detroit has more than enough weapons to bounce back from a 9-8 season that was considered substandard for this era of the team.
Weaknesses: Both of Detroit’s starting safeties are question marks from a health standpoint. Meanwhile, potential starting cornerback Terrion Arnold was released this offseason while facing armed robbery and kidnapping charges in Florida, causing ripple effects down the depth chart. This is shaping up to be a wobbly secondary again, unless the Lions can eventually add help. For starters, it would help if they were blessed with better injury luck this year.
Green Bay Packers
BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl: 20-1; Over-under win total: 9.5
Strengths: Jordan Love and Josh Jacobs form one of the NFL’s most talented quarterback-running back tandems, with Love coming off a strong year. Xavier McKinney anchors a strong secondary as one of the league’s most impactful safeties. Tight end Tucker Kraft is reportedly on track to start opening week as he finishes up ACL rehab. Green Bay has dynamic, young players on both sides of the ball.
Weaknesses: On Dec. 14, 2025, in Denver, the Packers were riding high, off to a 9-3-1 start to the season and carrying a 23-14 third-quarter lead over the top seed in the AFC. Then, in about an hour, Micah Parsons tore his ACL, the Broncos stormed back for a 34-26 win, and the foundations crumbled in Green Bay. The Packers didn’t win another game. Parsons’ timeline is unclear entering the season, but he’s bound to miss at least a few weeks. Green Bay’s pass rush could be woeful without the star edge rusher.
Chicago Bears
BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl: 25-1; Over-under win total: 9.5
Strengths: The Bears emerged as a surprise playoff team and one of the most compelling stories of the 2025 season thanks to a few key ingredients: a superb offensive line; a sophomore quarterback defiant against the notion that he’d been the wrong No. 1 overall pick in his draft class; a first-time head coach who wanted all the smoke; and pixie dust. The O-line should be stout again. If Caleb Williams has another proper leap in him, he can transcend all other variables.
Weaknesses: It’s rather easy to poke holes in the Bears’ infrastructure. They’re due for a regression to the mean in takeaways after they benefited from a league-leading 33 last season, masking a shaky defense that hasn’t meaningfully improved on paper. They trailed after the two-minute warning in seven of their 12 wins. Their quarterback completed only 58.1% of his passes despite the dazzling highlights and clutch touchdown throws, and now his leading wide receiver is in Buffalo. If Ben Johnson can coach Chicago to a second straight division crown, it would be quite a feat.
Minnesota Vikings
BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl: 50-1; Over-under win total: 8.5
Strengths: Justin Jefferson’s down year was largely a product of Minnesota’s dismal play at quarterback. Now that Kyler Murray has joined the mix to compete with JJ McCarthy on a one-year prove-it deal, the electrifying Vikings receiver should have more opportunities to make plays downfield. Murray also provides coach Kevin O’Connell with a more versatile option for play-calling purposes.
Weaknesses: Minnesota’s offensive and defensive lines could struggle this season. That’s never a great recipe. If the Vikings can’t establish any run game — they don’t have much firepower in the backfield, either — that might place too much pressure on whoever prevails in the quarterback competition.
