2025 NFC North offseason grades: Bears, Vikings, Packers all upgrade; Lions hang in there

The 2024 NFC North was the best division in the NFL last regular season.

Three teams won at least 10 games — the Detroit Lions (15), Minnesota Vikings (14) and Green Bay Packers (11). Truly astounding. However, the division fell flat on its face in the postseason with all three squads combining for zero victories. The Chicago Bears were the lone NFC North squad to miss the postseason with a 5-12 record in a tumultuous rookie year for 2024 first overall pick quarterback Caleb Williams in which offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and then-head coach Matt Eberflus were fired during the season.

All four NFC North teams had solid to stellar offseasons, but how great were they really? Well, a case could be made that all four of these teams are significantly better than they were a year ago except for the division-winning Lions, a franchise that experienced a massive brain drain from its coaching staff. Let’s take a look by highlighting each squad’s offseason activity in totality with both free agency and the draft wrapped up and assign a grade for the Lions, Vikings, Packers and Bears. 

2025 NFC East offseason grades: Eagles come up aces once again; Cowboys, Giants, Commanders all improve

Garrett Podell

Detroit Lions: B

• Players retained: S Kerby Joseph, DT Levi Onwuzurike, WR Tim Patrick, OL Dan Skipper, EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad, WR Kalif Raymond
• Notable additions: CB D.J. Reed, CB Avonte Maddox, CB Rock Ya-Sin, DT Roy Lopez
• Notable losses: OC Ben Johnson, DC Aaron Glenn, CB Carlton Davis, G Kevin Zeitler, EDGE Za’Darius Smith, S Ifeatu Melifonwu
• Notable draftees: DT Tyleik Williams, G Tate Ratledge, WR Isaac TeSlaa, WR Dominic Lovett

The Detroit Lions lost both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson (Chicago Bears) and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn (New York Jets) to the league’s head coaching ranks before a ho-hum offseason. The Lions swapped cornerback Carlton Davis for D.J. Reed before signing mostly depth-chart fillers in free agency. Their draft addressed notable holes along the defensive and offensive lines while preparing for the likely loss of receiver Jameson Williams in a year or two. A steady offseason for a squad that has fully committed to its core and is coming off of the best regular season in the league from this past season. 

Minnesota Vikings: A-

• Players retained: CB Byron Murphy, S Harrison Smith, RB Aaron Jones, P Ryan Wright
• Notable additions: DT Jonathan Allen, DT Javon Hargrave, C Ryan Kelly, G Will Fries, RB Jordan Mason, CB Isaiah Rodgers
• Notable losses: QB Sam Darnold, S Camryn Bynum, QB Daniel Jones, OT Cam Robinson, EDGE Patrick Jones II, CB Stephon Gilmore, C Garrett Bradbury
• Notable draftees: G Donovan Jackson

Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah went to work in his first offseason in charge having big-time cap space thanks to having just J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and projected 2025 starting quarterback, on a rookie deal.

He spent his team’s money like he just inherited his trust fund: The Vikings shelled out $296.59 million in free agency, the second most in the NFL behind only the New England Patriots ($364.68 million), according to OverTheCap.com. Minnesota got stuffed in a locker in its wild card-round loss against the Los Angeles Rams, surrendering an NFL-record nine sacks of then-quarterback Sam Darnold. Adofo-Mensah spent top dollar to be the hunter, not the hunted. 

Here are the key moves he has made to become a more violent team at the line of scrimmage: 

• Re-signed RB Aaron Jones (two years, $20 million with $13 million in total guarantees)
• Acquired RB Jordan Mason and a 2025 sixth-round pick from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2025 fifth and 2026 sixth
• Re-signed CB Byron Murphy (three years, $54 million with $34.78 million guaranteed at signing)
• Signed G Will Fries (five years, $87.720 million with $44 million guaranteed)
• Signed C Ryan Kelly (two years, $18 million with $9.25 million guaranteed)
• Signed DT Jonathan Allen (three years, $51 million with $31.255 million guaranteed)
• Signed DT Javon Hargrave (two years, $30 million with $19 million guaranteed)
• Drafted Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (24th overall in 2025 draft)

Minnesota showed it wants to be more than just bombs downfield to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and that it knows those two playmakers don’t matter if the quarterback can’t get them the football. The reason their grade is an “A-” and not an “A” is because head coach Kevin O’Connell has shown some slight uncertainty about McCarthy being his starting quarterback in 2025, just a year removed from a torn meniscus in his knee. O’Connell confirmed Minnesota “evaluated” Aaron Rodgers and is “hopeful” McCarthy is its starting quarterback. Not exactly a firm declaration of McCarthy as QB1. 

Green Bay Packers: B+

• Players retained: LB Isaiah McDuffie, K Brandon McManus, P Daniel Whelan
• Notable additions: G Aaron Banks, CB Nate Hobbs, WR Mecole Hardman, LB Isaiah Simmons
• Notable losses: C Josh Myers, CB Eric Stokes, DT T.J. Slaton, LB Eric Wilson, RB AJ Dillon
• Notable draftees: WR Matthew Golden, OT Anthony Belton, WR Savion Williams

The Green Bay Packers have been the NFL’s youngest team in each of the first two seasons with Jordan Love as their starting quarterback. They’ve reached the postseason each year but the way they handled their offseason indicated that they understood why they haven’t advanced back to the NFC Championship game in each year. In both their postseason losses at the eventual NFC champion San Francisco 49ers (2023) and the eventual Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles (2024), they were undone by an inability to generate consistent offense, in large part because of pass protection or drops from wide receivers.

General manager Brian Gutekunst went to work addressing those areas with the addition of longtime 49ers starting guard Aaron Banks in free agency and by using his first three 2025 draft picks on the offensive side of the ball: Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, NC State offensive tackle Anthony Belton and TCU wide receiver Savion Williams. Green Bay was also thin on cornerback depth with either Jaire Alexander or Eric Stokes dealing with injuries the last few years, so he signed soon-to-be 26-year-old cornerback Nate Hobbs. He allowed the 11th-lowest expected points added in coverage (-15.6) among all defensive backs who were targeted at least 40 times in 2024, according to The 33rd Team. No moves for stars like Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs and All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney were made this year like they were last year, but these solid, targeted acquisitions in tandem with Green Bay’s youth could launch them into true contention. 

Chicago Bears: A

• Players retained: LB T.J. Edwards, CB Kyler Gordon, 
• Notable additions: G Joe Thuney, G Jonah Jackson, EDGE Dayo Odeyingbo, DT Grady Jarrett, C Drew Dalman
• Notable losses: G Teven Jenkins, OL Coleman Shelton, EDGE Jake Martin, WR Keenan Allen, EDGE DeMarcus Walker, TE Gerald Everett
• Notable draftees: TE Colston Loveland, WR Luther Burden III, EDGE Shemar Turner

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, got smoked as a rookie: his 68 sacks taken were tied for the third most in a season in NFL history. 

New head coach Ben Johnson, the most coveted coaching candidate this hiring cycle and whose Detroit Lions offenses averaged an NFL-best 29.0 points per game when he was the offensive coordinator from 2022 to 2024 made sure that changed. Johnson’s Detroit offenses, especially last season, were powered by Pro Bowlers up and down the offensive line, namely left tackle Taylor Decker, center Frank Ragnow, guard Kevin Zeitler and right tackle Penei Sewell. 

Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles went to work beefing up Williams’ offensive line: they traded for Rams right guard Jonah Jackson and then subsequently dealt for two-time first-team All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2026 fourth-round pick. The Bears pounced in free agency snapping up the best center available in ex-Atlanta Falcons center Drew Dalman to a three-year, $42 million contract with $28 million guaranteed. They then gave Williams more playmakers to work with in the passing game in the draft, selecting Michigan tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III with each of their first two picks. That’s a great way to maximize your first overall pick quarterback on his rookie deal.