By Blessing 
The Detroit Lions have firmly established themselves as the top dog in the NFC North, claiming back-to-back division titles. Even as the division grows tougher — with the Vikings, Packers, and potentially even the Bears clawing for relevance — the Lions remain the most complete and competitive team heading into the new season. With a mostly intact roster and fresh leadership, they’re eyeing a third straight crown.
Though last year’s division race went down to the wire, Detroit came out on top again — and they look poised to do it once more.
One of the key reasons? The quarterback situation in Green Bay.
Packers QB Jordan Love has been labeled by many as the most overpaid player in the NFC North. Despite being relatively new to the starting role, he’s earning $55 million annually — a figure that ties him for the second-highest average QB salary in the league. That’s a massive cap hit, and it naturally limits how the Packers can strengthen the rest of their roster.
To be fair, Love has had some solid performances. But with 25 touchdowns to 11 interceptions last season — the second straight year with that TD/INT split — and a 19th-place finish among 75 qualified quarterbacks per Pro Football Focus, the numbers don’t exactly justify elite-level pay.
Unless he takes a major leap forward — and sure, there’s hope with the addition of Texas wideout Matthew Golden — Love’s contract will continue to feel inflated. To truly earn that paycheck, he’ll have to play like Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow. So far, that level of play hasn’t been there.
“It’s the nature of the business to pay that position,” the article notes. “Yet it’s still a reality that the Packers would be better off paying Love considerably less.”
Meanwhile, the Lions — even after losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson — still boast one of the league’s most efficient and explosive offenses. Jared Goff, making slightly less than Love, has delivered consistent, sometimes MVP-level performances at a more team-friendly rate. That contrast gives Detroit a clear edge in the QB department.
Until Love proves otherwise, the Lions can sleep a little easier knowing their biggest division rival may be held back by the weight of an oversized contract — and that could be a huge advantage as the 2025 season unfolds.