The Green Bay Packers have been carrying a wave of momentum in the previous two games, including this past Sunday's 45-27 blowout victory over the New England Patriots. Now, the Packers are 6-3 on the year, which is still not enough to get them out of last place in the NFC North. Even so, there is a lot for Packers fans to be excited about.
On paper, the Packers could have made a move at the trade deadline to help increase their odds of making the playoffs out of a stacked division. Perhaps running back would be an area of interest? Maybe to boost the interior of the offensive line?
The trade deadline has officially come and gone. Here's what happened around the NFC North.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers had the chance to explore the running back and offensive line markets if they wanted to bolster the roster. Instead, at the 4 p.m. ET deadline on Tuesday, the Packers emerged without making a trade.
So for the rest of the year, the Packers will move forward with their current roster, which isn't a bad thing. Quarterback Jordan Love is playing at an NFL MVP level as of late, and is doing so without a stellar rushing offense and a healthy offensive line.
Plus, the Packers will get superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons back in the coming weeks, with a target date set for their Thanksgiving Eve game against the Los Angeles Rams.
But for Packers fans hoping they would make a move, it ultimately didn't happen.
Minnesota Vikings
The Packers are set to take on the Vikings in their first game after the trade deadline. The Vikings faced a serious quarterback dilemma, as Carson Wentz stunk on Monday against the Buffalo Bills while filling in for an injured Kyler Murray. So, they had less than a day to find a new starter.
Minnesota opted for a reunion. The Vikings acquired their former starter Kirk Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for their 2027 third-round pick.
It is a desperate move for a Vikings team that has watched its quarterback decisions backfire over the years, with some of its former quarterbacks thriving elsewhere, such as Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy. Now, they gave up significant draft capital to bring Cousins back for the rest of the season.
The Packers will likely serve as the welcoming committee for Cousins if he does play on Sunday afternoon. Given what the Packers did to Drake Maye this past weekend, it may be a rough day at the office for Cousins.
Chicago Bears
The Bears might have made the biggest move in the entire NFC North, which may sting for Packers fans to read. But earlier this month, the Bears sent their 2027 and 2028 first-round picks and a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for stud defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.
To say the move is panning out is an understatement. Through two games, Simmons has 10 combined tackles (six solo), three tackles for loss, two sacks, two quarterback hits, and two passes defended. He was a game-wrecker in Tennessee and is already doing the same in Chicago.
The Packers have yet to face off against the Bears after the Simmons trade, so it will be interesting to see if the offensive line can hold up against him.
Detroit Lions
The Lions fell under the radar at the trade deadline among the NFC North teams. Detroit opted to make a move on Monday, the day that was dominated by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Lions, who desperately needed reinforcements in their secondary, completed a deal with the New York Jets for safety Andre Cisco. All it took to finalize a trade was a 2028 sixth-round pick. In nine games with the Jets this season, Cisco recorded 23 combined tackles (17 solo), two quarterback hits, one sack, one forced fumble, and one pass defended.
In pass coverage, Cisco allowed six receptions for 57 yards on 12 targets, according to Pro Football Reference.
Detroit needed to improve its pass defense, which has allowed a league-high 260.9 passing yards per game. Does Cisco immediately fix the secondary? No. But it was a move the Lions desperately needed to make heading into the second half of the offseason.
Add us as a preferred source on Google