NFC North Storylines in 2023: 1 Key Question About Each Team

Aaron Rodgers' hold over the NFC North is over.

The 10-time Pro Bowler and four-time NFL MVP was traded to the New York Jets this offseason after 15 years as the starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. There may have been celebrations in Chicago, Minnesota, and Detroit when that news broke. Rodgers frequently tormented other NFC North teams during his tenure in Green Bay. The future Hall of Famer led the Packers to eight division titles after winning the Super Bowl in 2010.

The Packers were perennial favorites in the division with Rodgers under center. But the 2023 season marks a new era in the NFC North. How will Jordan Love handle the difficult task of replacing Rodgers? And are the Detroit Lions, historical bottom feeders in the division, potentially the favorites this year?

Here's a look at each NFC North team ahead of the new season.

Bears: Will Chicago, Justin Fields Take Steps Forward?

There might not be a team happier that Rodgers is out of the division—and the conference, at that—than the Chicago Bears. The former Packers QB threw for 64 touchdowns in 29 career games against the Bears. Rodgers, as he liked to say, "owned" Chicago.

But as the Bears open the 2023 season, they are hoping to start their ownership of the division.

Chicago is entering its second year under general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus. After finishing with the worst record in the league last year, the Bears' roster went through a massive overhaul in the offseason. Chicago traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers for wide receiver D.J. Moore and a haul of draft picks. At No. 10 overall, the Bears took Darnell Wright, who is set up to start at right tackle as a rookie.

In free agency, the Bears plugged holes all over its roster. From linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards to edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue and offensive guard Nate Davis, the Bears are a more complete team and hoping to be more competitive than last year.

Whether that happens or not may come down to Justin Fields.

The former Ohio State standout dazzled Bears fans with electrifying plays on the ground in his second year as a pro, running for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns. But Fields and the Bears offense were very limited through the air. Chicago's offense ranked first in rushing yards last season but last in the NFL in both passing yards and attempts.

The third-year pro is very confident that he will be the first Bears quarterback to ever throw for 4,000 yards in a season.

"I will," Fields said this offseason. "I plan on doing it this year, too."

Fields certainly has a better offensive line around him this season, and better pass-catchers to throw to. Whether that will help the Bears' offense through the air has yet to be determined. If it does, that could be enough to see signs of progress in Chicago.

Lions: Is Detroit Actually a Contender?

"Detroit Lions" and "playoffs" aren't often found in the same sentence, except when pointing out the many instances when the Lions fell short of the postseason. The Lions last won the division in 1993 when it was still called the NFC Central. Detroit has only made three playoff appearances since 2000 and has not won in the postseason since 1991.

That could change this season.

Detroit rallied back after a 1-6 start to last season to finish 9-8 and just outside of the playoff picture. And, for once, there is actually optimism ahead of a new Lions season this time around.

DraftKings Sportsbook gives the Lions +140 odds to win the NFC North this season, according to a futures bet available Friday afternoon. That is the best of any team in the division. The Vikings (+290) have the next-best odds, followed by the Bears (+380), and Packers (+400).

The Lions ranked last in the NFL in yards allowed last season and brought in a pair of experienced defensive backs—Cameron Sutton and C.J. Gardner-Johnson—to help sure up the defense. All four of Detroit's draft picks from the first two rounds, including first-round picks Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell, are also in line to see significant playing time. If quarterback Jared Goff can stay consistent after maybe the best season of his career, the Lions and their upgraded roster may be in line to compete.

"We've got the same goals most teams do," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said on Barstool's Pardon My Take podcast. "Yeah, we want to win this division, we want to get in the playoffs, we want to make noise, we want to win a Super Bowl, all that.

"To me, the message stays the same in the regard of, no, we didn't win the division last year, Minnesota won it. Green Bay won it for years before that. So, to me, those are the kings in this division right now, and we have to go earn that. We didn't go to the playoffs last year, we've gotta earn that. So, to me, we're still on the outside looking-in, and that's what keeps us hungry."

Packers: Can Love Rise to the Challenge?

Green Bay took Love at No. 26 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Ever since, fans have been wondering when the Utah State product would take over for Rodgers.

That time has come.

Love has been the top QB in Green Bay from the moment the Packers traded Rodgers. The 24-year-old played sparingly over his first three seasons in the NFL. The 6-foot-4, 219-pound signal-caller has thrown for 606 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions over the 10 NFL games he has appeared in. The fourth-year pro received some valuable advice on how to take over after backing up Rodgers from, well, Rodgers.

"Aaron reached out to me last night and that's exactly what he said," Love said to reporters this summer. "He said just be yourself, have fun, enjoy it. It's obviously my time now, and he just said, you know, be yourself. I mean, that's all you can do... That's kind of been the message from everybody, is be yourself. Don't try to be anybody else. Don't try to be Aaron. Things like that. Just be yourself, and that's what I'm trying to do."

The last time the Packers replaced a Hall of Fame quarterback with a QB they previously drafted in the first round, Rodgers took over for Brett Favre. Rodgers was Favre's backup for three seasons just like Love was his for three years. Can the run of great play at the premier position continue in Green Bay?

Love's teammates seem to think so, at least.

"Everyone was locked into what the quarterback had to say, and you know when guys are respecting and really want to play for somebody like, 'All right, this is what we're doing, QB1, let's ball,'" Packers running back A.J. Dillon said of Love, via ESPN. "It's definitely a new era here...I think he's going to have a hell of a career. I'm excited to be a part of the first team to have a go at it with him."

Vikings: Can Minnesota Repeat as NFC North Champions?

The Minnesota Vikings won the NFC North last season but still enter the 2023 campaign with their share of questions.

Minnesota parted ways with Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, Za'Darius Smith, Eric Kendricks, and other longtime veterans this offseason. The Vikings also opted not to extend quarterback Kirk Cousins, putting his future with the franchise beyond this season into question. How the Vikings play in 2023 will heavily influence how the team is constructed in 2024.

If Minnesota fails to live up to expectations, a rebuild could be in order.

But in the meantime, the Vikings still have the top-end talent to compete for the North. All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson will be paired with first-round pick and former Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison this season. Pass rusher Danielle Hunter is coming off another double-digit sack season. On the other side of the line of scrimmage, Christian Darrisaw was the second-best offensive tackle in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Oh, and T.J. Hockenson was just given the largest tight-end contract in the league.

The pieces are still there for the Vikings to compete this year. But if the season doesn't quite come together for Minnesota, they might not be much longer.