Cory's Corner: The NFC North Is The Best By Far
The NFC North has historically been ruled by one different but dominant team, but now it has turned into a buzzsaw that offers no gimmes.
For decades, the NFC North operated under a predictable hierarchy: one heavyweight king, a scrappy challenger, and a cellar-dweller anchoring the bottom. Those days are dead. Entering the 2026 season, the old “Black and Blue” division has morphed into a historical anomaly. Coming off a 2025 campaign where it stood alone as the only division in the NFL to produce four teams with winning records, the North has become a gauntlet. With all four franchises hyper-aggressive in free agency, it has a legitimate chance to become the first division in league history to send every single member to the playoffs.
The match that finally lit this powder keg was struck in Minneapolis. The Minnesota Vikings made the low-risk, high-reward move of the offseason by signing quarterback Kyler Murray. Minnesota desperately needed stability after rookie J.J. McCarthy struggled mightily in 2025, turning in a pathetic 57.6% completion rate and 12 interceptions in just 10 games. Dropping a motivated Murray into a Kevin O’Connell offense featuring Justin Jefferson immediately elevates a roster that still managed a 9-8 finish despite major quarterback volatility.
But Murray’s arrival does more than just rescue Minnesota — it threatens to push a highly talented rival into last place. Look no further than the Green Bay Packers to understand the sheer cruelty of this division. Under Matt LaFleur, Green Bay boasts one of the league's premium young signal-callers in Jordan Love. And on defense, the front office added defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and cornerback Benjamin St. Juste in the offseason. Yet, because a torn ACL sidelines star pass rusher Micah Parsons until October, analysts are openly picking Love and the Packers to finish in the division basement.
The fact that a team led by Love could realistically finish fourth is a testament to the heavyweights at the top and the buzzsaw of a schedule through the upper Midwest. The defending division champion Chicago Bears didn't rest on their 11-6 record. To protect sophomore star Caleb Williams, the Bears traded for veteran center Garrett Bradbury and made the biggest financial splash in the division by signing safety Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million contract. Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions revamped their coaching staff by hiring offensive coordinator Drew Petzing to maximize a terrifying aerial attack where both Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams cracked 1,000 receiving yards last season.
Is it the best division in the NFL? I would easily say yes. Many other people say it’s the NFC West, but while the West does have the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, it also has the flimsy Arizona Cardinals, who will be trying to keep their heads above water this year. There are simply no “scheduled wins” left on the NFC North calendar.
The winner of the NFC North won’t just win a division, it will be a game of Survivor — minus the tribal council.
By the time we get to January, the NFC North will have subjected its teams to football's most unforgiving crucible. Whoever wins that division will be ready to hoist the Lombardi trophy.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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Comments (3)
gsd3
July 11, 2026 at 07:21 am
Toughest top to bottom? Yes. Best? I would have to say no. My pick would be the nfc west.
Put any north team in the west. Would they be favorites to win the division? I would say no. Put any of the top 3 from the west in the north and they would probably be favorites to win the division.
West will likely get the 1,5,and 6 playoff seeds.
That is why it is so important to win the division. Without it,looking at a 7th seed at best.
Coldworld
July 11, 2026 at 07:29 am
You have a high opinion of Kyler Murray. He’s athletic, has a good arm, but he is a very small QB/body. At 5’10”and 207 he might need to break a threshold. Drew Brees was 6’ and 213. Even Russell Wilson is slightly taller and Wilson has shown initially bigger hands). Is size related to his up and down play as a result of durability? Wilson also fell off as a QB as he aged, supposedly due to cumulative injuries. Murray is 6 seasons in. Wilson probably lasted 10, but was better starting out.
Size aside, and perhaps even more critically, Murray’s decision making has been at least questionable. Of course he isn’t the only reason the Cardinals didn’t have a winning record with him, but he was sometimes a significant reason.
Sure Murray could have a renaissance like Darnold did, but Darnold is a guy who just needed protection and finally got it. A bit like Goff when he landed behind that Detroit OL. Murray is a much more complex conundrum. I think this whole article is based on the more extreme end of Viking optimism.
It’s also perhaps relevant that Gannon should know Murray in and out and that if the Packers have been good at anything over the last couple of seasons, it’s containing mobile QBs. Overall, I can’t get where this article tries to lead me.
stockholder
July 11, 2026 at 07:34 am
The NFC North is; the Super-Bowl or Bust "Trap".
Gute's roster - turnover didn't do MLF any favors.
It still lacks depth in several positions.
And with Josh Jacobs legal problems.
And Parsons delay.
The analyst aren't on the packers side.
The obvious is the schedule.
Playing 8 games against 7 that made the playoffs.
Is a feat in itself.
If this team can't avoid injuries.
I fear MLF will be riding into the sunset.