Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears are trying to repeat as NFC North champions for the first time since the 2005 and 2006 seasons, but there is a quarterback standing in their way. It is not Caleb Williams, the Bears star QB.
Nor is it Jordan Love of the hated rival Green Bay Packers or Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions.
Instead, it is Kyler Murray, former No. 1 overall pick of the Arizona Cardinals, who is in Year 1 with the Minnesota Vikings.
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Williams and Murray share some interesting similarities, with the Bears and new Vikings stars both non-prototypical passers with dynamic athleticism. They are also both former Oklahoma Sooners and former first overall picks of their respective draft classes.
This season, though, Williams and Murray will be battling for the NFC North crown.
Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks picked Murray’s move to Minnesota as the “one offseason move that could tilt” the NFC North Race
“Head coach Kevin O’Connell has a chance to fully restore his reputation as a quarterback guru by transforming Murray into an unstoppable force in the Vikings’ scheme. Understandably, skeptics are questioning whether the two-time Pro Bowl QB can get his swagger back after a disappointing end to his seven years in Arizona,” Brooks wrote on July 24.
“I believe he can quickly rediscover his game in a quarterback-friendly offense that features an elite WR1 in Justin Jefferson and talented complementary playmakers in Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. With KOC in the lab cooking up creative plays that tap into Murray’s ability to terrorize opponents as a runner and thrower, the balance of power could shift in the NFC North due to the Vikings’ QB1 makeover.”
The Bears won it last year, but they split the regular-season series against the Vikings. J.J. McCarthy led an improbable fourth-quarter comeback on “Monday Night Football” in the regular-season opener.
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The Vikings struggled at QB all last season and still finished 9-8. Still, their struggles sparked their move to sign Murray this offseason. Murray is 2-1 in his career against the Bears.
Murray has thrown for 507 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions on 65.7% completion, adding 97 yards and 2 TDs on 17 carries against the Bears so far. He is also playing for his future. With $170.1 million in career earnings, he is on a one-year prove-it deal.
Murray and O’Connell have every reason to pull out all of the stops this coming season.
Williams and the Bears had to stave off a late rally from the Vikings last season, a task that could be much more challenging with Murray operating Minnesota’s offense.
The Bears surely hope their defense is steadier this coming season, which would lessen the need for the kind of turnover heroics their defense pulled off last season. Johnson and Williams should take steps forward, too. At any rate, the NFC North is shaping up to be a four-team race in 2026.
