Windy City Gridiron
Following another busy NFL offseason, one could argue that the best regular-season division in football might even be better moving into 2025. We’ll take a deeper dive into each team’s moves, and assess who improved their odds of taking the NFC North crown this season.
No matter the time of year, the NFL remains king of the major sports across the U.S. landscape. Whether it’s the start of free agency, the draft, or even reports from OTAs and mini-camp, the slow period occupies a minuscule portion of the yearly calendar. A year ago, the NFC North sent three teams to the playoffs, although they didn’t have a playoff win to show between them.
Following a flurry of offseason moves, numerous changes have the potential to reshape the division’s landscape. With the 2025 regular season still two months away, we’ll take a look back at a hectic offseason to assess who could come out as the Kings of the North when the dust settles in January.
For the third consecutive offseason, the Bears found themselves among the more active teams in the league. With the mid-season firing of Matt Eberflus, Chicago was able to jump-start its head coaching search, as well as its preparations for a roster-building philosophy change. They’ll have a new look offensive line, along with multiple new pieces added to the defensive trenches. All eyes are on former No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams and how he’ll gel with Ben Johnson and his new offense. The Bears remain one of the bigger “boom or bust” teams, offering a wide array of potential outcomes for the upcoming season.
Key Moves
- HC Ben Johnson - DC Dennis Allen
- LG Joe Thuney - C Drew Dalman
- TE Colston Loveland (1st round) - DE Dayo Odeyingbo
- DT Grady Jarrett - WR Luther Burden (2nd Round)
- RG Jonah Jackson - OT Ozzy Trapilo (2nd Round)
Armed with plenty of cap space and four picks in the Top 72 selections of April’s draft, the Bears went into the offseason big game hunting. They landed the big fish at head coach, but the fun didn’t stop there as Ben Johnson went on to surround himself with an All-Star caliber coaching staff. Year 4 for general manager Ryan Poles was his busiest and most expensive yet. Judging by how they build their roster and make their financial choices, this is a team that expects to hit the ground running and compete for a playoff spot.
Notable Losses
- LG Teven Jenkins - WR Keenan Allen
- C Coleman Shelton - DE Demarcus Walker
- DE Darrell Taylor - OL Matt Pryor
Early in the offseason, it became clear that Chicago was looking to remake all three starting spots along the interior of their offensive line. That meant giving up on a 2021 second-round selection and a quality starting center who started all 17 games. Allen, a headliner from last offseason, simply didn’t pan out how they had hoped. Considering...
