By Caleb Meier a student submission
The Green Bay Packers have dominated the NFC North for the last decade having the best record in the division for seven separate seasons, and they won the division again in 2021.
The Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears won it twice each and the Detroit Lions have not held the best record in the NFC North since the 1993 season.
However, something about the 2022 season is turning out a bit different for each team.
The Packers traded away star wide receiver Devontae Addams, to the Raiders in the 2021 offseason heading into the 2022 season. Without a clear number one receiver and multiple injuries to their starting receivers, Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for the Packers looked stumped at the start of the season.
Christian Watson, a rookie wide receiver taken in the second round, has caught fire catching five touchdowns in the last two games. The Packers have a strong running back duo in Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon this season but their record (4-7) indicates that their time atop the throne is nearing its end.
A fan page called green.bay.packers on Instagram which covers all of the Packers-related news had this to say when asked what Green Bay’s position in the North looks like for the future.
“I don’t think the Packers will win the NFC North this year, I think Minnesota easily wins this year. However, I can easily see the Packers being back in first in the next one to two years.” When asked about Aaron Rodgers he said, “I do think Rodgers might be gone in one or two years even before his contract is up.”
Finally, he commented on Christian Watson saying, “He’s gonna be the next guy for sure.” Green Bay has some bright young players on the roster and obviously, some fans still believe that the Packers will be back on top of the NFC North soon.
The Minnesota Vikings started the 2022 season off hot defeating the Packers 23-7 and building off of that momentum by winning six of their eight games since week one. How are the Vikings this good?
The Vikings have built a consistent offense with a top-five running back Dalvin Cook and an excellent backup Alexander Mattison, along with star wide receiver Justin Jefferson and a great number-two option Adam Thielen.
Kirk Cousins the quarterback for the Vikings has a lot of weapons to utilize in this high firepower Minnesota offense and they currently easily have a top ten offense in the league and just traded for T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions tight end at the season’s trade deadline.
The Vikings have been dominant this season and hope to stay atop the NFC North for many years to come, but we will have to see who can take the throne now that Green Bay is taking a step back.
The Lions started off this season 1-1 after a 3-point loss to the now 9-1 Philadelphia Eagles and a win over the now 6-5 Washington Commanders.
After the first two games of the season the Lions dropped five straight games, and had the 32nd worst-ranked defense during the first seven games of the season. However slowly the Lions have been improving and young players are starting to shine.
Kerby Joseph, selected in the third round of the 2022 draft has two forced fumbles and three interceptions, Aiden Hutchenson has five and a half sacks and two interceptions. Two great examples of young players starting to play very well for their team.
The Lions roster has an average age of 24.9 years old which is very young and these young players have started to learn to win under fiery head coach Dan Campell. The Lions are now 4-6 on the year and are still in the hunt for a Wildcard spot in the playoffs.
The Lions also have the Los Angeles Rams 2023 first round pick which is currently a higher pick than their own this year. This is a young team establishing a new gritty culture and learning how to win football games. The future looks very promising for this team.
The Bears have a young star in Justin Fields, taken in the 1st round of the 2021 draft he leads the team in rushing yards and has started to dominate opposing defenses with his mobility and seemingly newfound confidence.
The Bears traded away standout linebacker Roquan Smith for a second and fifth-round pick in the 2023 draft. The Bears are currently 3-8 and last in the division but much like the Lions, the future is bright for this young team.
Bearscoverage is a Chicago Bears fan page on Instagram that covers all Bears games and roster moves involving the team.
“It is pretty hard to predict, but based on what we know right now, I suppose the Bears and the Lions are in the best position to compete for the title in the upcoming years,” the fan page shared when asked who they think will be on top of the north in the next five years they said. “The Bears are also very young, have a ton of cap space, and are going to get a good pick this year.”
The NFC North is going to be a competitive division with the Vikings starting to become a Superbowl threat and both the Lions and Bears building toward the future. The Packers will have fierce competition if they plan to sit atop the North in the future.
