NFC North
Detroit Lions - Jared Goff
The Detroit Lions are my pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this year, and the Lions did just extend Goff in the recent past. This team is humming on both sides of the ball and have the best record in the NFC at 8-1. Goff ended up fizzling out a bit with the Los Angeles Rams, so he had to rebuild himself with the Lions.
I would be intrigued to see if that happens down the line with Detroit, but for now, Goff is the team’s starter for 2025 and beyond, and the Lions are absolutely talented enough to win the Super Bowl this season.
Green Bay Packers - Jordan Love
Jordan Love is right on the cusp of being a superstar QB, but he does need to cut down on those turnovers. That’s really the one thing that could hold the Green Bay Packers back from making a Super Bowl run. About halfway through the 2023 NFL Season, Love had a miraculous turnaround and all of a sudden put it all together.
He’s going to be the Packers QB for the long-term unless something major happens.
Chicago Bears - Caleb Williams
It’s a total circus in Chicago right now. Just a few weeks ago, the Chicago Bears were 4-2 and just one game behind in the NFC North. They’ve since lost three games in a row and just hired former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. While Caleb Williams has not played well over the last few weeks, this isn’t really going to impact their long-term status.
The Bears will likely (I hope) hire an offensive-minded head coach who knows how to develop a QB, and hopefully GM Ryan Poles invests into the offensive line this coming offseason as well. Perhaps then, Caleb Williams will be in a good situation.
Minnesota Vikings - JJ McCarthy
The Minnesota Vikings will probably let Sam Darnold leave in free agency, especially if the QB has a multi-year offer on the table. The team drafted JJ McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and will very likely trot him out there in Week 1.
The roster is nearly ready to go, so the de-facto rookie McCarthy would be in an incredibly stable situation and would have a great chance to at least reach his ceiling in the NFL, whatever that may look like.
I do not believe, at this point, that the Vikings would entertain bringing Darnold back to start yet again in 2025.