The 2024 NFL season is approaching quickly, and the NFC North may be the most exciting division to watch. The reigning champion Detroit Lions have had their finest season in decades, coming one win away from a historic Super Bowl participation. The Green Bay Packers hope to build on their own playoff promise. Both the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings have new quarterbacks and well-rounded supporting casts.
All four have the ability to compete for the NFC North title. All four have challenges to overcome. Here’s one burning question for each of them as we approach 2024:
Detroit Lions: Did they do enough to sustain momentum?
The Lions didn’t just live up to the expectations in 2023; they outperformed it, restoring Motor City’s faith in a gridiron contender. Much of their ultra-balanced core remains. Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown are signed for the long run, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs remain a thunder-and-lightning combination in the backfield, and the secondary has a lot of new potential, particularly rookie cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. There’s also little question that Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson will keep the pedal to the metal as Aggressive decision-makers. Under the surface, however, the Lions continue to rely on young breakouts at crucial positions such as wide receiver and edge rusher, where St. Brown and Aidan Hutchinson do a lot of heavy lifting. And they’ll need the offensive line to stay healthy to keep Goff comfortable for another deep playoff run.
