Ahead of the start of Week Two of the 2026 NFL Preseason, we continue our divisional standings prediction series. We stay in the North but switch conferences and turn our attention to the NFC, where the Chicago Bears are the reigning champs. Though they might have won the division last season, we have to wonder if the Bears are set up for regression this year. Let's take a look at how the NFC North divisional standings will shake out this coming season.
1. Green Bay Packers
Some people will call me biased for picking the Packers to finish with the best record in the NFC North, but I have plenty of logic to back up my reasoning. First of all, the Packers will probably not suffer as many season-altering injuries as they did last year. We seem to forget they were 9-3-1 and giving it to the Denver Broncos on the road before Micah Parsons was lost for the year. By the end of the season, the Packers were playing without their best defender (Micah Parsons), their best offensive player (Tucker Kraft), and their best offensive lineman (Zach Bako-Bewele). Not to mention, Jordan Love was banged up in the playoffs. With those guys likely playing most of the season, Green Bay should have a much better record. Additionally, the Packers play an easier schedule than the Bears, who have road games against the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills as well as home matchups with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Philadelphia Eagles. I also believe this will be the year where head coach Matt LaFleur finally unleashes quarterback Jordan Love and lets him run the offense. Previously, LaFleur has been cautious about letting Love grip it and rip it. However, one could argue that MLF is on the hot seat, and he may not have many more chances to lead this team to the Super Bowl. Knowing how much importance this season carries, I predict that Matt LaFleur will be more aggressive offensively, which will allow Green Bay to narrowly beat out Chicago for first place in the NFC North. The Packers will win one more game than the Bears, which should be enough to win the division.
2. Chicago Bears
Much like every other squad in the NFC North, the Bears are a playoff-worthy team with some major flaws. The Packers are too reliant on players returning to form after suffering career-changing injuries. Meanwhile, the Bears defense will likely take a step back this season. Chicago lost multiple key contributors on that side of the ball, including a starting inside linebacker and five high-impact defensive backs. Though they tried to address the secondary in the off-season, prized free agent safety Coby Bryant will likely miss the year after undergoing knee surgery. Plus, Chicago is still missing a game-breaking pass rusher like the Packers' Micah Parsons or the Lions' Aidan Hutchinson. Montez Sweat is nice, but he is not on the same level as those other guys. With an unimproved pass rush and a weaker secondary, Chicago will not lead the league in takeaways, which will make it more difficult to win games. The good news, though, is that the Bears' offense is poised to take another step forward after finishing ninth in scoring (25.9 points per game). Head coach Ben Johnson is one of the smartest offensive minds in the NFL, and third-year quarterback Caleb Williams looks like an MVP-caliber player after having so many clutch moments last season. Even with the departure of their starting center, this offensive line will still be one of the league's best, which will allow Chicago to bowl over teams with an elite rushing attack. That will be the domino that allows the rest of the offense to succeed. The defense will probably leave a lot to be desired, but the coaching and offense will cover up a lot of those deficiencies, making this team a clear contender to win the NFC North.
3. Detroit Lions
Anybody who watched the Lions last season has to admit that the 2025-26 campaign failed to meet expectations. Regardless, it’s ridiculous to say that Detroit's Super Bowl window has closed as so many NFL fans have claimed. As long as Dan Campbell is leading the charge in the Motor City, then the Lions will be able to compete for a title. Detroit did its best to address the team's two biggest issues from last year in the off-season. First, the offensive line was not nearly as good during the 2025-26 campaign as it had been in previous years. As a result, the Lions added five offensive linemen through free agency and the draft. With two new centers, a reliable right tackle, and another year of experience for young bucks Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge, Detroit should field one of the best offenses in the league, especially with its impressive arsenal of weapons. The Lions also brought in a new offensive coordinator, who I am admittedly skeptical about. That said, it's possible that Drew Petzing could do better than he did in Arizona with so much talent on the offensive side of the ball. Unfortunately, the issues that plagued the Lions defensively last season remain. Detroit still has holes in the secondary and lacks another impactful pass rusher to play on the opposite side of Aidan Hutchinson. Hell, the secondary concerns might be even worse than previously expected considering Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch are already dealing with injuries. Regardless, the Lions match up well with the rest of the NFC North, so they will probably finish within a few games of both the Packers and Bears.
4. Minnesota Vikings
This is a make-or-break year in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. If the Vikings fail to finish above .500, then it could be curtains for head coach Kevin O'Connell, who has amazingly never won a playoff game with the Vikings despite having a .632 winning percentage in the regular season since he took over, which is tied for fifth in the NFL. After fumbling their quarterback last year, the hope is that former number-one overall pick Kyler Murray can be the franchise savior. Unfortunately, Murray has missed 30 games since the start of the 2021-22 season, so it seems like a foregone conclusion that he will not play in every single game this year. Minnesota has possibly the best wide receiver room in the NFL with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Juaun Jennings. However, the rest of their offensive weapons are older and injury-prone. There are defensive concerns as well. After trading outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard, the Vikes lack a game-breaking pass rusher. They have nice pieces like Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, and Jalen Redmond, but none of those guys can completely take over a game like Micah Parsons or Aidan Hutchinson. Cornerback James Pierre will be a nice addition to the secondary, but that pales in comparison to the loss of safety Harrison Smith, who brought playmaking ability and - more importantly- leadership to this defense. On the plus side, Minnesota still employs arguably the best defensive coordinator in the National Football League in Brian Flores. And, despite his postseason deficiencies, Kevin O'Connell is clearly a good regular-season head coach. Should Kyler Murray be available for the entire season, this team will finish the year with a winning record. However, if he has to deal with any injuries, then the Vikes will surely suffer more losses than originally expected. Either way, I expect Minnesota to be right there with the other teams in the NFC North.
