Which NFC North team was the biggest winner on Day 1 of 2025 NFL free agency?

The first day of legal tampering is always one of the busiest of the year for the NFL, and 2025 was no exception. A flurry of moves was announced throughout Monday afternoon, even amidst the chaos of an outage on one of the biggest social media apps.

The NFC North saw some major acquisitions on Day 1 of free agency, mostly by just one team.

Which franchise saw themselves improve the most on Monday, and who still has their work cut out for them? Note: these rankings will only consider player acquisitions, not re-signings of players already on the roster.

4. Green Bay Packers

The Packers agreed to terms with two players on Monday, and neither move made a whole lot of sense. First was guard Aaron Banks, who agreed to a massive 4-year, $77 million deal, with $63 million of that coming in the first three years. Banks is a fine player, but the Packers seemed to be set at both guard positions and now they are bumping a promising young player down the depth chart for, at best, a marginal upgrade.

Later, cornerback Nate Hobbes reached agreement with the Packers on a 4-year, $48 million deal. This is a fairly cheap contract for the Packers, and they do have a need at cornerback. But why not shell out just a little bit more money for Charvarius Ward, who signed with the Colts and is a far better cornerback than Hobbes?

All in all, a lackluster day for Packers fans, especially considering some of the moves their division rivals made.

Aaron Bank — Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

3. Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota's biggest splash so far is the signing of 4-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly, whom they acquired on a two-year, $18 million deal. No justifications are needed here, this was a fantastic pickup for Minnesota, though of course not a long-term solution as Kelly turns 32 this year.

They also made two moves in the secondary. Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers joins Minnesota on a 2-year, $15 million deal. A reliable veteran, Rodgers provides Minnesota with some reasonable depth at cornerback. The Vikings also signed safety Bubba Bolden, an undrafted free agent in 2022 with no NFL experience yet.

2. Detroit Lions

When you're the back-to-back reigning division champs, you don't have to make many moves on Day 1 of free agency; you just have to make good ones. That's what the Lions did, acquiring just one excellent player at a position of need. The Lions came to terms with cornerback DJ Reed on a 3-year, $48 million deal.

Reed was considered the best cornerback available in free agency this year, and for good reason. He spent the last three years as part of an elite duo with Ahmad Gardner, creating a 'No-Fly-Zone' for the New York Jets.

DJ Reed — Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

1. Chicago Bears

The Bears were the big winners on Monday, and Bears fans are hoping that this finally translates to on-field winning. Shortly after the legal tampering window opened, the Bears agreed to a 3-year, $42 million deal with center Drew Dalman, regarded as the top center available this year. Dalman provides a big upgrade at a massive position of need for Chicago.

Later, the Bears addressed the defensive line by adding defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, both on 3-year deals for $48 million and $43.5 million, respectively. Odeyingbo is an ascending young talent who many felt was hampered by Indianapolis' poor overall pass rush, while Jarrett is a steady veteran who brings leadership and accountability to the locker room.

They still have to prove it on the field, but on paper the Bears got a whole lot better.

Drew Dalman — Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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