The Chicago Bears are building around Justin Fields, the Detroit Lions are entering the season as betting favorites to win the division, the Green Bay Packers are transitioning from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love and the Minnesota Vikings are attempting to repeat as division champs for the first time since 2008-09.
There’s a lot going on in the NFC North this season.
In the latest of a series of posts previewing the division ahead of the 2023 season, Alyssa Barbieri of Bears Wire, Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire, Zach Kruse of Packers Wire and Tyler Forness of Vikings Wire answered the question: who will be the NFC North’s most valuable player?
Bears Wire: WR Justin Jefferson, Vikings
MVP is an award reserved for quarterbacks, and there’s no denying they impact the game significantly. But I’m breaking the mold and going with Justin Jefferson, who is not only the best player in the division but a big reason why the Vikings were as competitive as they were during the 2022 season en route to a division title. Jefferson’s production through his first three seasons has been insane, surpassing 1,400 receiving yards in each and falling just 200 yards shy of 2,000 yards last year. With Kirk Cousins in a contract year and Dalvin Cook gone, we could see a great emphasis through the air, where Jefferson could produce one of the best seasons by a receiver in history. – Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire
Lions Wire: QB Jared Goff, Lions
The most valuable player is the one who makes the most players valuable. That old coaching adage is very applicable to Goff in Detroit. When he played well in 2022, Goff elevated the play of everyone around him, from RB Jamaal Williams to TE Brock Wright to Pro Bowl wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Lions are built to win by smartly and consistently using diverse weapons on offense. Goff is at the heart of that plan, and he’s proven he can thrive in that situation. With the Lions the preseason favorites to win the NFC North for the very first time in the division’s history, the catalyst at quarterback gets the nod for the MVP. – Jeff Risdon, Lions Wire
Packers Wire: QB Jared Goff, Lions
Justin Jefferson is the division’s best player, but most valuable isn’t perfectly synonymous with best player. So I’ll take Goff, the NFC North’s best quarterback from the 2022 season who will captain the team most are expecting to win the division in 2023. Goff threw 29 touchdown passes and only seven interceptions for an offense that finished fifth in scoring last season, and the Lions added more weapons around him this offseason. The guess here is that Goff is an effective and consistent distributor for a Lions team that could win 10 or more games this season, making him the best bet for MVP in a wide open division. – Zach Kruse, Packers Wire
Vikings Wire: QB Justin Fields, Bears
When you talk about Most Valuable Player, the quarterback position always gets shot to the top. That has to do with a myriad of factors with the main one being analytics and how it’s given us the data to show that they are the most valuable position. After two inconsistent seasons in Chicago, Fields has a much-improved team surrounding him this season, including a top wide receiver in D.J. Moore. With the growth he showed at the end of last season, things are looking up for the Bears and their success is in the hands of Fields. – Tyler Forness, Vikings Wire
