The NFC North underwent a good deal of shuffling this offseason, but it remains one of the most challenging divisions in football.

To come out on top, the Green Bay Packers will have to fend off the defending NFC North champion Lions, a Vikings team that won 14 games last season, and an up-and-coming Bears squad with a new head coach. Quarterback play will have a huge say in who takes the crown.

According to Bears reporter Courtney Cronin, Jordan Love has more proving to do than the others.

NFC North Reporters Share Opinions on Rival QBs

In ESPN’s ranking exercise, NFC North reporters had four quarterbacks to chose from: Love, Jared Goff (Detroit), Caleb Williams (Chicago), and J.J. McCarthy (Vikings). Of these, Goff is the only one who can be rightfully called a veteran; 2025 will be his 10th season as a pro.

Meanwhile, Love is heading into third year as a starter, Caleb Williams will be a sophomore, and McCarthy is technically a rookie after missing all of last season with a torn meniscus. Overall, this season will mark Love’s fifth in the league after the Packers drafted him with the 26th pick in 2020.

Interestingly enough, each reporter listed a different quarterback. Only Lions man Eric Woodyard chose his own team’s passer. Packers reporter Rob Demovsky tagged McCarthy.

Jordan Love Must Meet High Green Bay Packers Standards

In selecting Love, Cronin justified her reasoning as follows:

The Packers gave Love a $220 million contract ($55 million a year) last July after he turned in a strong second half during his first season as a starter in 2023. That salary alone demands better, more consistent play from a quarterback entering his sixth season in the NFL (third as a starter), and it’s problematic that the same concerns around his game continue to surface.

 

It’s difficult to assess how much of that was due to injury — he missed two full games — versus regression in 2024, but with the same offense, same playcaller and upgraded offensive weapons, Love doesn’t get any more passes. The playoffs are the expectation in Green Bay.

 

Mark Murphy may be stepping down as team president, but he leaves the franchise with a legacy of 14 playoff berths in the past 18 seasons. Taking over for a legend like Aaron Rodgers doesn’t make the job any easier for Love.

It’s fair enough to point out that he did not look good in last year’s Wild Card Round game against the Eagles. Leading Green Bay’s sloppy offensive performance, Love threw three picks and no touchdowns in the 22-10 loss.

Despite solid numbers, he also looked off at times during the regular season. As Cronin notes, he encountered a number of challenges, from injury to receivers with hands like sieves. He lapsed into bad mechanical habits.

Still, it is a bit of a reach to give Williams a pass over Love, even on a Bears roster that should contend as a fringe wild card team at best. As the much-heralded #1 overall pick in 2024, Williams doesn’t get the same leeway as a late first-rounder. With Chicago’s reactive sports media breathing over his shoulder, he is facing plenty of pressure to build on a strong finish to a disappointing rookie season.

Of course, there has been a lot of dialogue about Love as well, centered around a heated “regression” debate. If there is an argument for ranking him atop the “prove-it” list, it is the last factor included above: the Packers’ perennial playoff expectations. There are no mulligans for the NFL’s winningest franchise. After securing a pair of wild card berths in 2023 and ’24, Love will have to at least equal that achievement and probably win a playoff game to quiet his critics next season.

NFC North Reporters Share Opinions on Rival QBs

In ESPN’s ranking exercise, NFC North reporters had four quarterbacks to chose from: Love, Jared Goff (Detroit), Caleb Williams (Chicago), and J.J. McCarthy (Vikings). Of these, Goff is the only one who can be rightfully called a veteran; 2025 will be his 10th season as a pro.

Meanwhile, Love is heading into third year as a starter, Caleb Williams will be a sophomore, and McCarthy is technically a rookie after missing all of last season with a torn meniscus. Overall, this season will mark Love’s fifth in the league after the Packers drafted him with the 26th pick in 2020.

Interestingly enough, each reporter listed a different quarterback. Only Lions man Eric Woodyard chose his own team’s passer. Packers reporter Rob Demovsky tagged McCarthy.

Jordan Love Must Meet High Green Bay Packers Standards

In selecting Love, Cronin justified her reasoning as follows:

The Packers gave Love a $220 million contract ($55 million a year) last July after he turned in a strong second half during his first season as a starter in 2023. That salary alone demands better, more consistent play from a quarterback entering his sixth season in the NFL (third as a starter), and it’s problematic that the same concerns around his game continue to surface.

It’s difficult to assess how much of that was due to injury — he missed two full games — versus regression in 2024, but with the same offense, same playcaller and upgraded offensive weapons, Love doesn’t get any more passes. The playoffs are the expectation in Green Bay.

 

Mark Murphy may be stepping down as team president, but he leaves the franchise with a legacy of 14 playoff berths in the past 18 seasons. Taking over for a legend like Aaron Rodgers doesn’t make the job any easier for Love.

It’s fair enough to point out that he did not look good in last year’s Wild Card Round game against the Eagles. Leading Green Bay’s sloppy offensive performance, Love threw three picks and no touchdowns in the 22-10 loss.

Despite solid numbers, he also looked off at times during the regular season. As Cronin notes, he encountered a number of challenges, from injury to receivers with hands like sieves. He lapsed into bad mechanical habits.

Still, it is a bit of a reach to give Williams a pass over Love, even on a Bears roster that should contend as a fringe wild card team at best. As the much-heralded #1 overall pick in 2024, Williams doesn’t get the same leeway as a late first-rounder. With Chicago’s reactive sports media breathing over his shoulder, he is facing plenty of pressure to build on a strong finish to a disappointing rookie season.

Of course, there has been a lot of dialogue about Love as well, centered around a heated “regression” debate. If there is an argument for ranking him atop the “prove-it” list, it is the last factor included above: the Packers’ perennial playoff expectations.

There are no mulligans for the NFL’s winningest franchise. After securing a pair of wild card berths in 2023 and ’24, Love will have to at least equal that achievement and probably win a playoff game to quiet his critics next season.