A closer look at where the Pack will stack up against the rest of the powerful NFC North as they look to add to Green Bay’s great gridiron legacy
By Matt Serocki | June 22, 2026
The Green Bay Packers are one of the NFL’s most storied franchises. By winning many NFL Championships and early Super Bowls, the team earned the nickname “Titletown” and is still called that nickname to this day.
While there’s less reason to refer to them by that moniker in 2026, the same could be said about referring to the Dallas Cowboys as “America’s Team.” Over 50 years have passed, and the league has changed in numerous ways.
Instead of closer to 20 teams, today’s NFL has 32 clubs. Free agency didn’t pop up until the early 1990s. The Packers did win a Super Bowl in the 90s and again in 2009, but coming up short has been more of a theme for one of the league’s most storied franchises.
Moving from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love provided a seamless transition, but things are much different for Love’s version of the Packers. The Lions were perennial doormats, but under Dan Campbell, the franchise has been reinvigorated. The offense is among the most exciting, but was decimated by injuries over the last two years.
The Bears couldn’t find a franchise quarterback but did so by landing Caleb Williams first overall in 2024. Minnesota would be up and down and a threat on and off, but has been a formidable rival over the last decade.
The Packers made the playoffs as the seventh seed in the NFC, but only after limping to a 9-7-1 record. For a team that had high hopes and expectations, that had to be a disappointing finish. The tie with the Cowboys alone was a tough pill to digest.
Despite having a stout defense and a top 15 quarterback under center, the Packers could find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the 2026 playoffs. The NFC West is loaded again and could send three teams to the postseason like in 2025. The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks are Super Bowl favorites. San Francisco always seems to overcome whatever injuries or adversity come its way.
In the NFC North alone, Green Bay may have trouble standing out. The Bears may fall a peg after winning the division in 2025. They’ll play a first-place schedule and cannot rely on winning in the final minutes of nearly every game in 2026. That still doesn’t mean every showdown will be much different than 2025.
The Lions could bounce back with an explosive offense. Minnesota could find the missing quarterback piece they’ve been lacking with Kyler Murray. The defense was already formidable, finishing third in total defense behind Denver and Houston, who both made the playoffs.
That was in a season where Justin Jefferson was vastly wasted due to pathetic quarterback play. Both Detroit and Minnesota finished 9-8 last season. This doesn’t even account for the improvement made by teams across both the NFC East and NFC South. Each team in the East could be great or terrible.
The South squads may not be 13-win worthy, but could be tough outs. The NFC should be as competitive as it has ever been. It will be infinitely more difficult for the Packers to overcome their shortcomings.
Getting tight end Tucker Kraft will help an offense in need of a true No. 1 receiving option. However, Micah Parsons is likely to miss close to half the season. It may be too late when he returns to the lineup. This comes in tandem with losing defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who took the head coaching job for the Miami Dolphins.
Having Jordan Love will keep the Packers in most games, but division games alone will be dogfights. Green Bay also has to play the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, Rams, Texans, and an improved NFC South. Cheeseheads will enter the season with their usual optimism, but could find that completely evaporated come January.
Matt Serocki is a freelance journalist based outside of Boston, Massachusetts. He’s been an avid NFL and MLB fan for over 35 years, and his favorite teams are the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, and Washington Commanders. Matt also writes about professional wrestling for Sportskeeda.
