NFC North Roundtable: Detroit Lions Reason For Optimism

The NFC North continues to be among the toughest divisions in the National Football League.

Green Bay and Chicago both made the playoffs, while the Lions and Vikings both finished with 9-8 records.

Here is a look at the reason for optimism for each NFC North team, heading into the 2026 season.

Detroit Lions

Detroit had a setback this year in their journey to get to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.

After winning 15 games in 2024, there was simply too much to overcome, including the retirement of center Frank Ragnow and the departures of two coordinators.

Detroit still finished with nine victories, but the silver lining in failing to make the playoffs may be how the front office and coaching staff reacts moving forward.

The offense still is potent and chalk full of All-Pro talent. It is clear more investments need to be made along the offensive line. Free agency should target a proven center who can lead a group of young offensive linemen.

Detroit's trio of wide receivers have the potential to be among the best in the league. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa should continue to shine in 2026.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs is poised to have another stellar season and will benefit from having Drew Petzing running the offense.

For Detroit to make their biggest strides next season, a concerted effort to bolster the talent on the defense is paramount.

Aidan Hutchinson is a player general manager Brad Holmes must continue to build around. -- John Maakaron, Detroit Lions On SI

Green Bay Packers

Long before the Packers lost to the Bears in the playoffs to cap a 9-8-1 season with a five-game losing streak, the Packers were humming along at 5-1-1 after a come-from-behind victory at Pittsburgh.

In that game, Jordan Love completed 20 consecutive passes, Tucker Kraft caught seven passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns and Micah Parsons had one sack and moved up to second in the NFL in pressures.

The following week at Carolina, Kraft – the team’s rising star at tight end – suffered a torn ACL. Still, the Packers were 9-3-1, on a four-game winning streak and winning at Denver, the AFC’s eventual No. 1 seed, before Parsons suffered his torn ACL.

The season crashed and burned from there. The Packers lost at Denver to kick off their season-ending skid.

The Packers are a very good team, and they will be again in 2026. With Love, the Packers have a high-quality starting quarterback. Once Kraft is back, the Packers can line up with Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden at receiver, Kraft at tight end and Josh Jacobs at running back. That’s a potent 11-personnel grouping. Once Parsons is back, the defense will have it’s “Closer” that could have made the difference in both late-season losses to Chicago.

General manager Brian Gutekunst doesn’t have a first-round pick or an abundance of salary-cap space, and that’s going to make it difficult to upgrade the offensive line, defensive tackle and cornerback, but a healthy corps of this team is capable of beating any team in the NFL. -- Bill Huber, Packers On SI

Minnesota Vikings

Finding optimism in Minnesota? First, you have to dissect the negative.

Firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah more than three weeks after the season ended, and less than a year after signing him to an extension, is a bad look that raises plenty of questions. Still, it reshapes how the Vikings will approach the NFL Draft. Adofo-Mensah did not hit many home runs in the draft, and his dismissal could mean head coach Kevin O'Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores will have full say when the picks are announced in April.

As lifelong football guys, they might have a sharper eye for talent than Adofo-Mensah, whose Wall Street and analytics background never fully translated in Minnesota.

It also gives O'Connell an easy out if he decides to move away from quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Generally, general managers, not head coaches, are tied to the quarterbacks they select in the first round of the draft. Remember how Flores was reportedly against drafting Tua Tagovailoa when he was head coach in Miami? Perhaps a similar dynamic existed in Minnesota between Adofo-Mensah, O'Connell, and McCarthy.

Beyond that, the Vikings have the league's second-worst cap situation. They will need some contract magic to remain competitive in free agency. Again, there is nothing particularly optimistic about that.

So, what can Vikings fans feel confident about?

They were a quarterback away from being legitimately good this season. If they get growth from McCarthy, or find a way to acquire someone like Mac Jones or Aaron Rodgers, they could quickly return to double-digit wins and a spot in the playoffs. -- Joe Nelson, Minnesota Vikings On SI

Chicago Bears

While the Bears emerged NFC North champions, there are reasons to be wary in 2026. Ultimately the reasons for optimism far outweigh the downside.

Ben Johnson's effectiveness as a play caller and an offensive line that protected Caleb Williams even while he fought through holding the ball too long while learning a new offense can make for a more explosive passing game. Williams is only going to become more aware of where his open receivers will be in the future as he operates the attack more and he now has that wasted year under Matt Eberflus purged from is system.

Johnson's past in Detroit showed he could greatly improve the Bears offense and he did, taking them from last in the league to sixth despite lacking exact talent fits he needed for his style of play. He'll have the opportunity in Year 2 to further shape that talent.

The key on defense in Dennis Allen's system is the secondary and this remains their strength, although they do need to sign Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker or sign/draft another safety.
Their pass rush was maligned through much of the year but wound up with the same number of sacks as New England and their pressure gradually increased once Austin Booker returned at midseason from injury--just ask Jordan Love.

While their cap situation limits changes, they also have an abundance of contracts heavy in salary capable of being restructured so they can address defensive line needs.

Maybe their biggest need no one talks about is a linebacker, if they cut Tremaine Edmunds for cap purposes. Based on Edmunds' productivity over three seasons, it wouldn't be difficult to find someone comparable for less money who better fits the scheme, like possibly Kansas City's Leo Chenal. -- Gene Chamberlain, Chicago Bears On SI

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Minnesota Vikings

Chicago Bears

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