Trav’s NFC North Prediction for 2025 Season

We have looked at the AFC North and now it’s time to head over to the NFC North. Detroit was the king’s last season with their magical season. Detroit is trying to finally reach its first Super Bowl in franchise history. The Lions were hit hard with injuries on the defensive side of the ball that finally caught up to them. Green Bay continues to ascend in the right direction. They have added pieces on both sides of the ball to make that jump. Minnesota had a special season a year ago, but Sam Darnold is no longer the quarterback. Can J.J. McCarthy fill in for Darnold and have the same impact? Chicago continues to build around Caleb Williams by adding a new head coach. Can Ben Johnson do wonders and put the Bears in a position to win? Who wins the NFC North this upcoming season?

Green Bay Packers

Green Bay and Detroit finished in my top 5 NFC teams heading into the 2025 season. The Packers were my third-ranked team behind the Eagles and Lions. After the trade for Micah Parsons, I’m giving them the advantage over Detroit. They traded away Kenny Clark, who was a great pass rusher and run stopper. Parsons will make everyone better on the defense when he’s on the field. The Packers continued to build around Jordan Love. They will have Josh Jacobs for a second season, and he was great for them last year. They drafted Matthew Golden to give Jordan Love another weapon at the receiver position. Green Bay also signed Guard Aaron Banks to help protect Love. If Love can stay healthy all season, the Super Bowl could be a possibility. With Parsons, the Packers are now my favorite to win the NFC North this season.

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions will finish second in the NFC North in the 2025 season. Detroit was one of the most exciting teams in the league last season. The mastermind behind the offseason is now the Head Coach for the Chicago Bears. Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and David Montgomery are still great players, no matter who’s calling plays. Penei Sewell is still one of the best tackles in the league. Detroit did lose Carlton Davis to free agency, but was able to sign D.J. Reed to fill that void. Aiden Hutchinson returns after his horrific leg injury and they’re hoping he won’t have lingering issues. The coaching changes are my biggest question marks with this team. They are one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl in the NFC. As of now, they are my second-best team in the NFC North.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings had an amazing season a year ago. Sam Darnold was an MVP candidate for most of the season last year. Darnold signed with Seattle in free agency, and J.J. McCarthy will take over at quarterback. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season after being drafted in the top 10 of last year’s NFL Draft. The Vikings still have one of the best receivers in the league in Justin Jefferson. Unfortunately, Jordan Addison will be suspended for the first three games, but the Vikings brought back Adam Thielen. They also resigned Aaron Jones, who had an amazing season in his first year with the Vikings. Minnesota beefed up its defensive line by signing Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. They also re-signed Byron Murphy to a three-year extension to stay in Minnesota. Minnesota will go as far as McCarthy will take them, but I’m placing them third in the NFC North.

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are predicted to finish last in the NFC North. This has nothing to do with them, but the NFC North is the toughest division in the league. The Packers and Lions are legit Super Bowl contenders in the NFC. The biggest acquisition the Bears had was hiring Ben Johnson as their new head coach. Johnson was the mastermind behind the Lions offense, and he’s hoping to bring that same vibe to Chicago. The Bears traded for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson to protect Caleb Williams. They added to the receiving core by drafting Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III. On defense, they brought in Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyinbo via free agency. The Bears success will depend on the growth of Caleb Williams. The Bears could be a surprise team if Williams plays to that No. 1 pick standard.