Sizing up Vikings' place in NFC North with Micah Parsons now in Green Bay

The NFC North was easily the best division in football last year, sending three teams to the playoffs and boasting two of the four 14-win seasons in the NFL. On paper, much of the division got better over the course of this offseason. This was already projected to be another highly-competitive battle in 2025. Now, after a massive, league-altering trade on Thursday, it's going to be an all-out war.

The Packers, who were bounced in the first round of last season's playoffs after winning 11 games, are officially all in. They traded two first-round picks and Kenny Clark to the Cowboys for Micah Parsons, then signed Parsons to a record-smashing four-year, $188 million contract. It's a big price, but one that Green Bay (and many other teams) would pay every single time in order to acquire one of the most fearsome defensive players the sport has to offer. They just added Micah Parsons in the middle of his prime. The bigger story is how Jerry Jones and the Cowboys let this happen.

But we're not here to talk about Dallas, we're here to discuss what this means for the Vikings and the NFC North as a whole. With the first regular season Sunday a little over a week away, let's take an updated look at all four teams, ordered by their current odds to win the division title (per FanDuel Sportsbook).

Green Bay Packers (+165)

Nov 13, 2022; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Parsons is one of the only non-quarterbacks in the league capable of singlehandedly shifting the outlook of a division. He's played four NFL seasons and would've likely finished in the top three in DPOY voting for a fourth straight year in 2024 had he not gotten hurt. He's 26 years old and on a first-ballot Hall of Fame trajectory. With all due respect to Aaron Kampman and Clay Matthews and Za'Darius Smith, Parsons is inarguably the Packers' best pass rusher since Reggie White.

By trading for Parsons, the Packers jumped ahead of the Lions as the betting favorites in the North. It's hard to argue with that. Led by Jordan Love and Josh Jacobs, Green Bay was fourth in offensive DVOA last season, and they might now have a No. 1 receiver in rookie Matthew Golden. They were also seventh in defensive DVOA despite a down year from Clark, and now they've added one of the two or three best pass rushers in the world. Parsons will only help make things easier on guys like Rashan Gary and Devonte Wyatt and Edgerrin Cooper, as well as Xavier McKinney on the back end.

The Packers are not a perfect team, by any means. The offensive line looks more good than great. The cornerback room is a significant question without Jaire Alexander. As always, Love's play will determine their ceiling. But there's no doubt that the ceiling just got quite a bit higher with Parsons in town, making the Packers the team to beat in the NFC North this year.

Detroit Lions (+185)

Coming off of a 15-win campaign that ended in disappointing fashion in the divisional round, the Lions spent the entire offseason up to this point as the favorites to repeat in the North. Despite losing both of their coordinators — Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn — to head coaching gigs, Dan Campbell's team is still loaded with talent. This group was third in offensive DVOA last season and fifth on defense. All John Morton and Kelvin Sheppard need to do is carry over the foundation their predecessors established (which is certainly easier said than done).

Jared Goff has an elite group of weapons at his disposal, led by Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown. The interior offensive line is a question mark after the losses of Frank Ragnow and Kevin Zeitler, but in Penei Sewell, the Lions have one of the few tackles capable of holding his own in a 1-on-1 matchup against Parsons. The defense boasts a healthy Aidan Hutchinson, a dynamic safety duo in Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, and new addition D.J. Reed at corner. The loss of the two coordinators creates some uncertainty in Detroit, but this team is clearly good enough to win the division again and be in the Super Bowl mix.

Minnesota Vikings (+360)

Aug 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) warms up before the game against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

It makes sense that there's a somewhat sizable drop-off in odds when you go from the first two teams down to the Vikings. Those teams have quarterbacks who have shown they can play at the highest level, while the Vikings have a 22-year-old yet to take his first NFL regular season snap. That feels like basically the only thing separating Minnesota from the top tier in the division as we head into the 2025 season.

Make no mistake: If McCarthy is the guy the Vikings believe him to be, they'll be in the same tier as the Packers and Lions and will have a real chance to win the division. Kevin O'Connell has won at least 13 games in two of his first three seasons in Minnesota. With O'Connell coaching and Justin Jefferson leading a stacked group of weapons behind an upgraded offensive line that could be among the league's best, McCarthy is in an incredible situation for a young quarterback. Christian Darrisaw, like Sewell, is capable of surviving a battle with Parsons. Brian O'Neill is no slouch, either.

On the other side of the ball, Brian Flores' defense — which was second in DVOA last year — now has a pass rush that features Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Allen, and Javon Hargrave. The Vikings have their own question marks at cornerback, but this defense has a chance to be special once again. Even with Parsons in the division, Minnesota has a shot. It all comes down to McCarthy.

Chicago Bears (+600)

Jan 5, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) during the game against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Bears' path to winning the division is a difficult one to see. It's certainly not impossible if everything clicks into place, but 2026 might be a more realistic timeline for legitimate contention, even in an optimistic view of the franchise's direction. Any major step forward from Chicago has to involve a big second-year leap from Caleb Williams under the direction of Ben Johnson. Williams isn't lacking weapons, especially with Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III now in the mix. His tackles aren't quite as suited to deal with Parsons as those in Detroit or Minnesota, but Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright aren't a bad duo. The interior O-line was completely overhauled and looks very strong on paper.

Still, there's a long way to go for a Bears team that was 27th in offensive DVOA last year. The defense was 22nd and projects as a middle-of-the-pack group again, even with new additions Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo. Chicago's uphill climb to escape the NFC North basement got even steeper with Parsons joining the division, but maybe Johnson can lead an immediate turnaround.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Green Bay Packers (+165)

Detroit Lions (+185)

Minnesota Vikings (+360)

Chicago Bears (+600)

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