NFC North Ranked Top Division for 2026 by NFL.com
https://www.vikings.com/news/nfc-north-ranked-top-division-2026-justin-jefferson
NFC North Ranked Top Division for 2026 by NFL.com
Death, taxes and the NFC North being competitive.
It seems Minnesota's division every season has at least two or three teams vying for the top position — and sometimes two or three teams making their way into the playoffs.
NFL.com's Nick Shook recently ranked all eight of the league's divisions and topped his list with the NFC North. He noted while "the biggest question mark resided in Chicago" this time last year, the Bears will enter the 2026 campaign "as the reigning division champion with enough optimism to build a skyscraper taller than the Willis Tower." Shook wrote:
Ben Johnson is coming off a fantastic debut season as head coach. Quarterback Caleb Williams is on the cover of Madden NFL 27. Super Bowl LX Champion Coby Bryant hopped on the bandwagon via a three-year, $40 million free-agent deal. Even if the Bears know the heart-stopping style with which they won a significant portion of their 2025 games is unsustainable, everything is looking up in the Windy City.
But Shook warned to not overlook the rest of the division, including the Vikings. He said Minnesota "has spent the entire offseason playing the 'What If' game," but if the Vikings find stability at the quarterback position, they "should be primed for a legit playoff run."
In Detroit, the Lions are looking to rebound from a 9-8 season with the help of new Offensive Coordinator Drew Petzing, who spent 2014-19 as an assistant coach with the Vikings.
Detroit won't be caught by surprise in the trenches this season, not after adding center Cade Mays to solve the issues in the interior, then signing Larry Borom and Ben Bartch as depth additions and acquiring Juice Scruggs in a deal that sent David Montgomery to Houston. Yes, this is now Jahmyr Gibbs' backfield, and hopefully, the offseason efforts are enough to get the ground game back on track. Three new defensive backs — Roger McCreary, Chuck Clark and Christian Izien — should bring the same needed depth to that side of the ball.
Shook evaluated Green Bay, noting Head Coach Matt LaFleur "willingly reset" the Packers offense and changed up the receiving corps.
It's a necessary refresh for a team that admittedly felt stale in 2025 and repeatedly failed to deliver in the biggest late-season moments (at Denver, plus two losses in Chicago). The talent remains … but the trust isn't quite there for the Packers as of now. That can change quickly.
When all is said and done? The NFC North looks poised for another close race.
At the outset of last season, three of the four member clubs were seen as legitimate threats to win the NFC North and embark on Super Bowl pursuits. The one team most didn't take seriously ended up winning the division. A battle royale awaits in the North.
LIVE WELL ~ LOVE MUCH ~ LAUGH OFTEN
Truth. And it pains me to say that. The Vikings look like they could be very good this year. And then you think about how every team in the North is good. And then you think about the Rams perhaps bringing in Aaron Donald to pair with Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie and it just makes my head hurt. I guess I'll be grateful for small favors in that they took Ty Simpson at 13 when they could've added yet another difference maker. Hope it bites them in the dick.
"The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it”
MaroonBells wrote:
Truth. And it pains me to say that. The Vikings look like they could be very good this year. And then you think about how every team in the North is good. And then you think about the Rams perhaps bringing in Aaron Donald to pair with Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie and it just makes my head hurt. I guess I'll be grateful for small favors in that they took Ty Simpson at 13 when they could've added yet another difference maker. Hope it bites them in the dick.
If Aaron Donald returns, he won’t recognize many of his teammates
If/when future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald resets the five-year clock on his induction to zero, he’ll join a team that has nearly zero defensive starters from the last time he played.
The only defensive starter who was on the team when Donald retired after the 2023 season is linebacker Byron Young.
Looking at the roster more broadly, the Rams have only four players left from the team that won Super Bowl LVI to cap the 2021 season: tight end Tyler Higbee, tackle Alaric Jackson, center Coleman Shelton, and quarterback Matthew Stafford. Every defensive player from that team is gone (including, for now, Donald).
Only six remain from the 2023 roster, with the four listed above, offensive lineman Kevin Dotson, and defensive tackle Larrell Murchison.
It’s another example of how dramatically NFL lineups change from one year to the next. Every season really is a one-year experience for each franchise. By the next year, many things will be very different.
For Donald, despite being gone for only two years, he’ll see only one familiar face on defense if/when he puts his No. 99 uniform back on and takes the field.
The good news is that the Rams have reloaded on the fly, with a team that has been a consistent playoff contender (except for 2022) and that is the favorite to win the Super Bowl without Donald. With Donald, some will say there’s no reason to play the games.
But that’s, as a wise man once said, why they play the games.
LIVE WELL ~ LOVE MUCH ~ LAUGH OFTEN
I think Rams/Seattle are better vs any team in the nfc north...But as a division? The NFC appears more difficult top to bottom vs West. Only cause of the Cardinals though.
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
I don't think Seattle is better than any team in the NFCN....but good luck picking who'll win the NFCN.
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