Inside: Previewing the league’s most competitive division, where the Bears, Packers, Lions and Vikings all expect to make the playoffs. Is this the first year a division goes 4-for-4?This article is from The Athletic’s NFL newsletter. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox. It’s free to subscribe. NFC North PreviewIn 2025, the NFC North became the second division in modern history to have every team finish above .500. Yes, even the J.J. McCarthy-led Vikings had a winning record (9-8).Chicago Bears(11-6, lost in divisional round)Headline change: Trading D.J. Moore. The receiver’s departure was bigger news than center Drew Dalman’s retirement, but the latter arguably hurt Chicago more (Dalman was coming off his first Pro Bowl and is just 27 years old). The Bears then traded with the Patriots for Garrett Bradbury (24th in PFF’s center rankings) and reached on center Logan Jones in the second round of April’s NFL Draft.As for receiver, second-year player Luther Burden III is expected to step up. He dodged a major injury this weekend but will miss the remainder of the offseason with a groin strain.Subtle change: Losing three safeties. The Bears defense was awful in 2025 but made up for it with a league-leading 33 takeaways. That’ll be hard to replicate with five new defensive backs. Chicago lost All-Pro safety Kevin Byard, safety Jaquan Brisker and slot corner C.J. Gardner-Johnson, among others. Adding former Seahawk Coby Bryant was a plus, but Bryant is sidelined into late fall with a knee injury.Lingering question: Can the defense keep up? Coach Ben Johnson’s offense averaged 26 points and 370 yards per game. But his defense didn’t leave much margin for error (24.4 points, 362 yards per game), with one of the league’s worst pass rushes. I’m not confident this year’s unit is better.Projection: 9-8. Bears fans seem torn after a remarkable 2025. The offense could be even better, but will the defense sink this team? A winnable schedule should have the Bears back in the postseason, where Chicago might need more plays like this:Green Bay Packers(9-7-1, lost in wild-card round)Headline: Josh Jacobs arrested. Coach Matt LaFleur’s offense is predicated on a strong running game, which is in jeopardy with the star running back under investigation because of allegations of domestic violence. Jacobs practiced all offseason, but his status remains one of 10 big questions facing Green Bay. A suspension could still come.Subtle: Jordan Morgan at left tackle. Morgan is a former first-round pick who is reverting to his college position to protect Jordan Love’s blindside. Concerns with his arm length are why he has played guard in the NFL, though he clearly showed enough in a Week 18 spot start at left tackle to gain the team’s trust. An overmatched offensive line cost this team last season, especially in its Week 3 upset loss to the Browns, so this is one to watch.