Challenging the NFC West for the best division in football is the NFC North, which managed to have all four teams finish the season over .500 last season, the only division to do so. The North also had three teams with 11 wins or more in 2024-25, making the division consistently one of, if not the best, over the past few years. It’s called the Black and Blue Division for a reason, and there’s a feeling that this season will prove why once again. These QB-RB-WR trio rankings could change at any given point in the season due to the nature of the division.
Best Trios in the NFC North
1. Jared Goff-Jahmyr Gibbs-Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions)
The Detroit Lions have had one of the most explosive offenses in the entire league for a few years now, and this QB-RB-WR trio is exactly why.
Jared Goff has improved his game to being a top-10 quarterback, putting up 4,438+ yards and 29+ touchdowns in each of the last four seasons. His consistent play has helped Amon-Ra St. Brown become one of the best wide receivers in the league, making First-Team All-Pro and Second-Team All-Pro over the last three seasons. You could also say that St. Brown’s consistent play has done the same for Goff as a quarterback.
Then you have probably the most dynamic and explosive running back in the league with Jahmyr Gibbs, having double-digit touchdowns in his first three seasons and seems to be only getting better in what could be his best season yet in 2026.
People around the league were questioning what this Lions’ offense would look like without Ben Johnson as coordinator last season, but it finished top five in yards of total offense. Detroit missed the playoffs last season and finished last in the NFC North but was above .500 at 9-8. It had a lot more to do with defensive woes than offensive woes.
Because they missed the playoffs and took a step back from what they were previously, there are a lot of people sleeping on them this season, which could make them dangerous, at least offensively.
2. Jordan Love-Josh Jacobs-Christian Watson (Green Bay Packers)
The potential is there for this QB-RB-WR trio to be one of the best in the league if everything comes together. The Green Bay Packers are relying on health and bounce-back ability to prevail, and if it does, look out.
Following in the footsteps of two all-time great quarterbacks was already going to be a challenge for Jordan Love, and while he’s not on that level, he’s put up some pretty good numbers across the board, and his underlying/advanced numbers are among some of the best in the league.
His game takes another step forward when Chrisian Waston is on the field, which has been a question throughout his career. A healthy Watson means an explosive passing attack, as suggested by the big change in the team’s offensive numbers when he’s on the field vs when he’s off of it. There are a lot of people sleeping on this duo. If he can stay healthy, he and Love can make a lot of noise.
Then there’s Josh Jacobs, who had a very strong first year in Green Bay in 2024 but had a noticeable drop-off last season. It didn’t help that he was banged up and missed two games. The Packers need him to have a bounce-back year in order to have success, and limiting his ailments will play a huge part in that. He’s a workhorse back and has the motor to produce as he once did.
That being said, Jacobs finds himself in legal trouble, putting his season and future in jeopardy. The loss of Jacobs for any extended period of time would be a huge blow and their ranking would take a hit, but as of now, he makes up one-third of a promising trio.
3. Caleb Williams-D’Andre Swift-Rome Odunze (Chicago Bears)
The Chicago Bears improved significantly in year one under coach Johnson, going from 5-12 to 11-6 and making it to the divisional round. Caleb Williams himself improved overall under center from his rookie season, and Johnson’s offense played a part in that. One area that took a fall was his completion percentage, which fell from 62.5% in 2024 to 58.1% in 2025, ranking 32nd in the NFL. There’s a lot of hype around Williams heading into his third year and the second year under Johnson, but he needs another year of improvement to potentially climb the rankings.
Williams has plenty of options to spread the ball around to, but Rome Odunze is set to be WR1 heading into the year with the trade of D.J. Moore to the Buffalo Bills. Odunze led the team in targets last season while being tied for first with six receiving touchdowns. With Moore gone, Odunze’s share is sure to increase, as well as his overall numbers heading into his third season.
D’Andre Swift having his best season yet in 2025 surely helped the Bears in a big way. He set career highs in rushing yards (1,087) and rushing touchdowns (9) while having his most yards per game (67.9). He also benefited from Johnson’s system and should continue to do so this season. There’s some real optimism for this group, but more improvement needs to be shown all around to gain more respect.
4. Kyler Murray-Aaron Jones-Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings)
Justin Jefferson is carrying the load for this Minnesota Vikings‘ trio and makes it close between the three- and four-spot, believe it or not, but he alone is not enough. He is coming off the worst year of his career, tallying barely over 1,000 yards and two touchdowns. A lot of that had to do with the quarterback situation, even with the immense talent Jefferson has.
He should have a bounce-back year with a better quarterback under center in Kyler Murray. While Murray isn’t a top-half signal caller in this league, he’s a respectable starter and should be significantly better than what J.J. McCarthy was last season. That alone should bring Jefferson closer to what he was in 2024 than in 2025, and that would make the look of this group more interesting.
This QB-RB-WR trio may have had a chance to move up a spot if Aaron Jones wasn’t declining in his 30s. He’s coming off his worst year as a starter, notching under 600 yards on the ground with two touchdowns. Jones also had his least productive year catching the ball out of the backfield as well. It’s a very different tone from when he had over 1,100 yards and five touchdowns on the ground in 2024 while having over 400 yards through the air. Even if Jones improves on his numbers from last year, he’s lost what made him a sneaky and elusive running back.
Main Image: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
