A few notable trades could occur in the NFC North, with all four teams having rosters good enough to win the competitive division.
The Lions need defensive help for Aidan Hutchinson and there could be a star edge rusher available in Las Vegas.
The Vikings need help at quarterback after how poorly things went for J.J. McCarthy in his first season as the starter. Minnesota could find viable quarterback competition from a divisional rival.
Green Bay needs to re-sign a few notable players, and the Bears have to find creative ways to improve the defense.
Here’s one move every NFC North team should make.
Chicago Bears: Trade WR DJ Moore
There’s flexibility to move DJ Moore and his hefty contract to aid the defensive side, with the Bears having a surplus of pass catchers.
Caleb Williams is heading into his third season and has a year of experience working with coach Ben Johnson, making it less vital for the signal-caller to lean on Mooore’s veteran presence in crunch time. The two connected on a handful of big moments in 2025, but it ended on a sour note, with Moore being criticized for his lack of effort on Williams’s interception that led to the Rams’ overtime win in the playoffs.
The Bears saw noticeable improvement from wide receiver Rome Odunze in his second season, and tight end Colston Loveland showed his high potential in the passing game toward the end of his rookie year. The team also has tight end Cole Kmet and wide receiver Luther Burden III.
If a team is willing to take on Moore’s $23.4 million guaranteed salary next year, the Bears shouldn’t hesitate to take the cap relief and potential draft pick in the trade return. Chicago needs more resources on defense, with Dennis Allen’s unit allowing 361.8 total yards and 24.4 points per game last season.
Detroit Lions: Trade for edge rusher Maxx Crosby
Hutchinson has needed a co-star on the defensive front for quite some time now. He’s been a one-man wrecking crew on a defense that has ranked in the bottom half of yards and points allowed the past two seasons.
It’s now or never for this Lions’ core group, which should make them serious buyers for Crosby’s services. There are some risks here, given Crosby’s injury history and age (he turns 29 in August). But Crosby could do for Hutchinson what Danielle Hunter does for Will Anderson Jr. in Houston. Crosby has generated 69.5 sacks in seven seasons with the Raiders, and Hutchinson has 43 sacks in four seasons with the Lions.
If Detroit can consistently create pressure with a potential duo of Hutchinson and Crosby, that will mask all the issues in the back end of the season. It might require Detroit sending a first-round pick to Las Vegas, but the pick won’t matter if the Lions win the Super Bowl in Los Angeles next year.
Green Bay Packers: Re-sign LT Rasheed Walker
It would be surprising if Rasheed Walker hits the open market once free agency begins next month. Teams rarely let go of quality tackles, especially ones at age 26 who block as well as he does in the passing game.
It took Green Bay some time to figure out what it truly had in the 2022 seventh-round pick, but Walker kept improving and making the most of his opportunities, turning into a three-year starter after only playing in one game as a rookie. Walker didn’t flinch when the team drafted Jordan Morgan in the first round in ’24 and continued to reassure the team that he was the best option to protect Jordan Love’s blindside.
If the Packers can lock down Walker before free agency, they can then turn their attention to their many top in-house free agents, such as Quay Walker and Romeo Doubs.
Minnesota Vikings: Sign QB Malik Willis
Speaking of the Packers’ free agents, it might be tough for them to splurge for Love’s backup, perhaps making Willis available at the start of free agency.
Coach Kevin O’Connell can’t hand McCarthy the starting job again unless he proves it by beating out real competition in training camp. Willis, a 2022 third-round pick, showed vast improvement in the games he appeared last season for Green Bay and his determination to make the most of his latest opportunity after how poorly it went for him in Tennessee could bring out the best in McCarthy in a fierce summer battle.
It was a small sample size, but Willis completed 85.7% of his passes in four games last year. For comparison, McCarthy struggled by completing only 57.6% of his passes in 10 starts.
Willis could have other options and maybe an easier path to a starting job, but not many teams can offer a wide receiver as good as Justin Jefferson. The Vikings have no reason to commit to McCarthy’s first-round status after the team fired GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
There’s no more time to waste in Minnesota after the disastrous quarterback results in 2025.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as One Move Every NFC North Team Should Make This Offseason.
