The NFC North could become one of the more competitive divisions in football. The Packers figure to have a big say in making that the case.
After barnstorming to the division championship and an eventual postseason win over Green Bay at Soldier Field, the Chicago Bears will face one of the most daunting schedules in the league. Not only do the Detroit Lions look to be improved, but the Minnesota Vikings reloaded this offseason around new quarterback Kyler Murray.
The Bears’ path to a division championship repeat could be a difficult one.
Packers could be Bears’ biggest threat
NFL Media’s Kevin Patra lists the Bears as the third-most vulnerable division champions from last season, to being unseated in 2026, with a nod to Green Bay as a threat.
“When Micah Parsons returns from injury,” Patra writes. “The Packers will be a force to be reckoned with.”
With the division’s landscape shifting and the rivalry lines long ago drawn, the Packers could be poised to reclaim their dominance in the North.
If Green Bay can stay healthy and capitalize on the pieces they’ve added on defense this offseason, the Bears’ reign at the top may be shorter than Chicago fans ever anticipated.
As the 2026 season approaches, the road to the crown will at least have a stop at the frozen tundra that the rest of the division will need to contend with.