The Green Bay Packers are looking to break through and emerge as a contender in 2025. Did they do enough this offseason?
The Packers have won 20 regular-season games over the past two seasons and have now re-established themselves as a playoff contender in the NFC. However, we have not seen this team take that next step into contention, and it does seem like they've got the firepower, right?
Well, being in the NFC North complicates things, as the other three teams are boasting a ton of talent themselves, and when we look at the NFC North power rankings, the Packers might still be a ways away from contention.
NFL Power Rankings: Packers might be a long ways away from contention in the NFC
4. Chicago Bears
A five-win team in 2024, the Chicago Bears wasted no time remaking their offensive line, adding key talent in the 2025 NFL Draft, and also hiring Ben Johnson to be their new head coach. I truly would not rule out the Bears from winning nine or 10 games and earning a Wild Card spot.
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However, with the team being the most unproven in the division, they are, firmly, last in the NFC North.
3. Green Bay Packers
The Packers won 11 games last season, yet still finished third in the NFC North. It's actually quite disappointing that the two teams ahead of them are as good as they are, but that's life right now in the NFC North.
Green Bay could ideally make a leap in 2025 if Jordan Love emerged as an unquestioned top-10 QB in the NFL. With him now entering his third year as a starter, that could happen, and while the Packers don't have a ton of elite players, the roster is deep, so that could play to their advantage in 2025.
2. Minnesota Vikings
While JJ McCarthy is unproven, the Minnesota Vikings did win 14 games in 2024 and boast a better roster than Green Bay, which includes a better offensive line, defensive line, and weaponry on offense.
McCarthy, likely enduring some rookie lumps, could end up allowing the Packers to sneak ahead, but with how much success Kevin O'Connell has had with QBs in Minnesota, McCarthy's chances for immediate success are quite high. The Vikings are second in our power rankings for the NFC North.
1. Detroit Lions
A 15-game winner in 2024 with the best roster in the NFL, the Detroit Lions are first in our NFC North power rankings and are probably not going anywhere in 2025. The one thing that could bring them down is losing both Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson to head coaching jobs, but the Lions are still loaded on either side of the ball and should get Aidan Hutchinson back from injury.
Jared Goff is also the best QB in the division, and you could argue Dan Campbell is the best head coach in the division as well.
Yet again, the NFC North is the Lions to lose.