The NFC North is once again going to be a gauntlet. The hardest division in football will remain that way in 2026, but the Detroit Lions feel good about their chances thanks to a relatively easy schedule and, hopefully, better luck with health.
There are certainly no easy matchups in the NFC North, but Lions fans can be quite confident about their chances over the Minnesota Vikings. The quarterback situation there remains a mess, and it's difficult to imagine the offense getting any better any time soon.
Kyler Murray is already struggling in Vikings minicamp
On Tuesday, things got even worse for the Vikings. Kyler Murray threw back-to-back interceptions during seven-on-seven drills, per ESPN's Kevin Seifert. After practice, he went on to admit that his transition to Minnesota has been difficult, and splitting reps with JJ McCarthy has been tough.
The new addition said, "I was [in Arizona] for seven years...you're getting all those reps. Now I have these split reps. It's me already being behind, not getting the amount of reps that you would typically want a guy to get learning an offense. That's probably the toughest part."
While Murray was complaining about adjusting to his new surroundings, McCarthy was answering questions about being a trade candidate. Ahead of his third season, McCarthy said that he loves the organization and wants to stay there.
Whether that would change if he were to lose the starting job to Murray, however, remains to be seen. When Murray signed with the Vikings earlier in the offseason, many assumed that he would be the frontrunner to land the QB1 job. He likely still is the favorite, but his minicamp performance and latest remarks surely wouldn't instill too much confidence in Vikings fans.
There is a reason Murray was available for Minnesota this spring. He was released by Arizona after he missed significant time due to injury in three of the last four seasons. He has had more wins than losses in his starts in only one out of his seven seasons in Arizona.
The ironic part is that he is likely still an upgrade over McCarthy. The Vikings had one of the worst offenses in the league last season while they watched Sam Darnold win a Super Bowl with the Seahawks. Their receiving corps and the defensive unit remain elite, but as long as they have one of the more underwhelming QB rooms in the NFL, it won't matter.
The Packers, Bears, and Lions all have legitimate arguments to be the best team in the NFC North next season. The Vikings, while still having an over/under of 8.5 wins, face an uphill battle to make the postseason. Lions fans will enjoy keeping a close eye on the QB saga in Minnesota throughout the season.
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