The NFL is a quarterback driven league. It’s hard to win these days without at least a good player under center. With that in mind, here is a look at the quarterback position for each of the four teams in the NFC North Division. Teams are ranked based on their starters and backups with the emphasis on the stater. Where do the Green Bay Packers stand? We are ranking each NFC North team at quarterback entering 2026.
Ranking Each NFC North Team at Quarterback Entering 2026, Number Four: Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings weren’t pleased with J.J. McCarthy’s play last season as the former Michigan star struggled in his first year as a starter. He completed just 57.6 percent of his passes and averaged just 6.7 yards per attempt. McCarthy threw 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions which gave him a quarterback rating of just 72.6.
McCarthy needs to improve his decision making, his accuracy and ability to read defenses. It’s unclear after one season if he’ll live up to expectations.
The Vikings acquired former Cardinals starter Kyler Murray to compete with McCarthy. When healthy, Murray adds experience and leadership. He is not considered an upper echelon quarterback at this stage of his career, but he could be a good placeholder while McCarthy learns to play in the NFL.
The Vikings are the unquestioned fourth place team at starting quarterback in the NFC North as of now. However, they may have the best depth at the position in the division.
Number Three: Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams made progress in his second NFL season. He has all the physical tools to become a very good NFL quarterback but still lacks the consistency to take his game to elite status.
Williams has proven himself to be a clutch quarterback and he led the Bears to late victories after struggling through the early parts of games. As of now, the former USC star does a better job of improvising than he does of playing within structure and going through his reads.
He completed only 58.1 percent of his passes for 3,942 yards while starting all 17 games. He threw 27 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions which gave him a quarterback rating of 90.1, a slight improvement over the 87.8 from his rookie campaign.
He also did a better job of releasing the ball sooner. That combined with improvement from the Bears offensive line reduced the sacks he took from a league high 68 in 2024 to just 24 in 2025.
Backup Tyson Bagent will return in 2026 barring a trade. He started four games in 2023 but has thrown just six passes in the two seasons since then.
Ranking Each NFC North Team at Quarterback Entering 2026, Number Two: Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love improved his game in 2025. The Utah State alum completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 3,381 yards in 15 games this season. He threw 23 touchdowns and only six interceptions and finished with a quarterback rating of 101.2.
Love’s downfield accuracy and decision making improved and he is now one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the league. He was healthier in 2025 after playing through several injuries the previous season. That increased his ability to evade the pass rush and to extend plays.
Love has great arm strength and can make all the throws required of an NFL quarterback. He has led the Packers to the playoffs in each of his three seasons as a starter but is just 1-3 in those playoff games.
The Packers lost backup Malik Willis in free agency. That leaves former Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder as the potential backup. It’s also possible Brian Gutekunst adds another backup before the start of the 2026 campaign which is how he added Willis in 2024.
Number One: Detroit Lions
Jared Goff couldn’t quite match his career best 2024 season, but the Lions starter came close. He completed 68 percent of his passes for 4,564 yards while starting all 17 games. He threw 34 touchdowns and just eight interceptions while averaging a healthy 7.9 yards per attempt.
Goff controls the Lions offense and runs it to peak efficiency. He knows how to keep the many weapons on his team happy and does a good job of calling audibles to making the right reads. Goff may not be a star, but he is the ultimate game manager and maximizes his talent and that of the players around him.
Backup Kyle Allen threw only two passes all season and didn’t complete either of them. As of now, the Lions don’t have him under contract for 2026. The team may look to replace him with a draft pick or a veteran backup in case anything happens to Goff.
The Lions edged out the Packers for the top start, but that could change if Love stays healthy and makes progress this season. Meanwhile, Goff remains on top of his game.
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