The NFL is about to go into hibernation for a while, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of football to discuss over the next month or so.
With free agency, the 2023 NFL Draft, OTAs, and soon enough mandatory minicamps in the rear-view mirror, we now have a good feel for how each team in the NFC North stacks up by position. In this new series on Bears Talk, I take a look at how the Chicago Bears rank against their NFC North peers at every position.
To kick things off, let’s start with the most interesting position group: Quarterback.
Detroit Lions
Starter: Jared Goff
Key Reserves: Hendon Hooker, Nate Sudfeld
Jared Goff had a respectable season last year and is a lock to return as the Lions’ starting quarterback. Detroit has done a fine job constructing a roster that plays to Goff’s strengths and minimizes his weaknesses. With a stout offensive line, Goff can stand in a strong pocket and deliver accurate strikes to short and medium-range targets. He may even play his way into a handsome extension with the Lions.
But Goff is a known quantity at this point. He can help a team get to a Super Bowl, as he did with the Rams, but he’ll never be the one leading his team to the Super Bowl. He’s a guy you win with, not because of.
Hendon Hooker was an interesting 2023 third-round selection for Detroit. Before an ACL injury ended his 2022 season at Tennessee, Hooker was the betting favorite for the Heisman. He’s got a ton of potential, but coming off a major injury is concerning, and he will be nearly 26 years old as a rookie by the time he’s even healthy enough to play a football game.
As QB3, there’s not much to say about Sudfeld. He has 37 career pass attempts in four years.
Minnesota Vikings
Starter: Kirk Cousins
Key Reserves: Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall
Kirk Cousins has put up some great numbers in his career as a Viking, but he’s also been blessed with at least one elite wide receiver every year he’s been in purple. First, it was Stefon Diggs. Now, it's Justin Jefferson. He's still obviously talented, but it'd be interesting to see him play just one game with a mediocre group of pass-catchers.
Like Goff, Cousins is a known quantity who can play good, efficient football but won’t be the guy leading a team to a Super Bowl title. Plus, the Vikings appear ready to move on from him after this year, and this season is already shaping up to be far less enjoyable than last year was for Minnesota fans.
Mullens is a five-year journeyman who’s on his third team. For a backup, you could do a lot worse. He’s started 17 games in his career and played in 24, completing a respectable 65% of his passes for 7.8 yards per attempt.
Hall was a Day-3 selection in this year's draft for Minnesota. He could be an intriguing developmental project but BYU quarterbacks haven’t exactly faired well in the NFL recently.
Green Bay Packers
Starter: Jordan Love
Key Reserves: Danny Etling, Sean Clifford
As one era closes, another begins. Packers fans are understandably excited for Jordan Love to finally be the starter, but I think the honeymoon will be a short one. Following an erratic college career at a small school, Love continues to struggle in practice and appears so-so in limited regular-season action.
As a Bears fan, I’ve never been worried about Love like I was when Aaron Rodgers took the helm in Green Bay in 2008. To me, Love represents a Mitch Trubisky kind of player. A likable guy with a big arm, shifty mobility, and seemingly all the talent in the world, but he struggles with accuracy and decision-making.
Beyond Love, there’s even less certainty. Etling has been on seven different NFL and CFL practice squads since 2018, and Clifford was a mid-day-three pick in 2023. If Love completely flames out or misses any games due to injury, there’s no proven NFL talent at quarterback in Green Bay.
Chicago Bears
Starter: Justin Fields
Key Reserves: PJ Walker, Nathan Peterman, Tyson Bagent
Ryan Poles has gone all-in on Fields this year, giving him an improved offensive line, revamping the running back and tight end rooms, and trading for a proven WR1. If 2022 was a mini-breakout for Fields, 2023 is shaping up to be even bigger. He could potentially have an MVP season. Fields has a solid supporting cast now, so it's up to him to continue developing into a star.
Walker provides an upgrade at the QB2 position, with all due respect to Trevor Siemian. He plays a similar style of football as Fields, so the playbook doesn’t need to change radically should he have to start a game. He also has at least some chemistry with DJ Moore.
Peterman is currently QB3 on the roster, but I could see him losing that job to undrafted rookie free agent Tyson Bagent. Bagent comes from a Division II school, but he’s got incredible potential after a college career that includes an NCAA record 159 passing touchdowns and the D2-equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
Bears have brightest outlook at QB in NFC North
In terms of who has the most proven starting quarterback with the best situation right now, you have to give the nod to the Vikings. But considering the future, each quarterback’s potential, and the teams around them, Chicago is far and away leading the division. The Lions probably come next with Hooker being a potential star in the league, but there's no telling when he'll get his chance to start.
As for Minnesota, we have no idea what the plan is after Cousins because their quarterback of the future doesn't appear to be on the roster. The Packers are a complete unknown at the position and easily have the worst QB situation in the NFC North.