Four months out, Misryoum weighs a big question: will J.J. McCarthy ever start again as the NFC North race tightens for 2026.
The NFC North always looks close on paper, but it rarely stays simple for long—especially when quarterback futures start to feel unsettled.
Misryoum’s way-too-early take on the 2026 season turns on a single, uneasy storyline: J.J.. McCarthy in Minnesota.. One year ago. the Vikings were comfortable enough to let a young franchise quarterback grow without the noise of an immediate replacement.. Now, with the regular season still months away, the risk of “development” turning into missed opportunity feels real.. If McCarthy’s path to stability gets disrupted. Minnesota could be left trying to catch up inside a division that demands continuity from every position group.
A lot of that pressure stems from what the Lions. Bears. and Packers have already shown they can do when conditions line up.. Detroit’s 2025 arc offered a warning: the plays that look unstoppable in one stretch can swing the other way when opponents adjust.. The Lions were once defined by fourth-and-inches faith and execution that made them look like football math was on their side.. In 2025. those moments didn’t just fail to swing games—they repeatedly stalled drives and drained momentum. and the postseason never arrived.. Misryoum expects a bounce-back approach in 2026. not necessarily because everything will become perfect. but because the margin for error in the NFC North has no patience for slow starts.
For Detroit, Jared Goff remains the centerpiece of what should be a steadier offense.. A quarterback with long experience running a professional rhythm can help blunt the kind of volatility that shows up when a team is forcing urgency too early.. Misryoum’s view is that the Lions should return to being harder to stop on offense by making their execution more consistent and their decision-making less reactive.. Even if their record doesn’t automatically mirror what fans remember from earlier years, the signs of institutional learning matter.
The Bears are the most intriguing case of “momentum versus expectation.” Misryoum still sees Chicago making the playoffs in 2026. largely because the team has built a belief system around preparation and late-game resilience.. But a magical season has a way of creating a hangover effect.. When you win too many close games, you’re either genuinely better—or you’re riding outcomes.. A first-place schedule is an extra test: opponents treat you like the benchmark. and the rest of the league is ready with film and adjustments.
Quarterback development and coaching clarity become the difference between “miracle run” and repeat performance.. Misryoum expects regression in the standings relative to 2025, but that doesn’t have to mean regression in end-of-season relevance.. If Ben Johnson can keep the offense crisp and postseason-ready. Chicago may not match the hype from last year. yet still be good enough to survive the division grind.
The Packers. meanwhile. live in a different kind of uncertainty—one that shows up when the roster has talent but the supporting cast can’t reliably deliver.. Jordan Love has stretches where he plays like one of the league’s cleanest operators. then disappears into the kind of rough patch that ruins rhythm across an offense.. Injuries can amplify that problem, but they also expose depth and play-calling limits.. Misryoum’s question for Green Bay is straightforward: who becomes the consistent, true No.. 1 wideout?
Quarterback play tends to follow how safe an offense feels.. If the Packers can’t turn targets into a dependable structure—something defenses respect even when the run game slows—then Love’s best stretch can be followed by nights where the entire passing game looks rushed and incomplete.. The NFC North doesn’t forgive hesitation.. For Green Bay. the biggest swing in 2026 may be whether they can consistently move the ball through the air without needing everything to go right every week.
And that brings Misryoum back to Minnesota—where the stakes feel amplified by the quarterback spotlight.. Bringing in a star-caliber presence changes the culture and the expectations. but it doesn’t remove the fundamental problem of risk.. Kyler Murray can absolutely elevate an offense if he reaches his peak form. and a healthy. high-ceiling season would give Minnesota a realistic path to another winning year and a serious playoff push.
The concern is what happens if the situation mirrors the last two years from Arizona: the performance ceiling is real. but the consistency has to last.. If Murray isn’t consistently at that level. and if the McCarthy storyline remains unresolved. the Vikings could find themselves fighting for footing rather than breathing room.. Misryoum expects a tough division. and for Minnesota. that means every week becomes a referendum on whether the quarterback plan is stable enough to withstand injury. opponent adjustments. and late-season pressure.
Where Misryoum lands for 2026
Misryoum projects the Lions as the most likely “steady-and-improving” team after their 2025 setbacks. with a playoff-caliber identity returning as execution tightens.. Chicago carries playoff momentum but faces regression pressures that could show up in the standings even if the team remains dangerous.. Green Bay’s ceiling depends on whether the Packers can answer the No.. 1 receiver question and keep Love’s offense from losing rhythm.. And Minnesota’s division future may hinge on whether the McCarthy question fades into the background—or becomes the loudest thing on the Vikings’ timeline.
The real takeaway for NFC North fans
The NFC North in 2026 may not be defined by one headline moment as much as by reliability: reliable quarterback health. reliable offensive structure. and reliable playmaking when the fourth quarter arrives.. Misryoum’s early predictions all circle back to the same idea—teams don’t just win games. they prove they can stay coherent under pressure.. If that’s the difference, the NFC North won’t just be close.. It will feel personal from kickoff to kickoff.