Micah Parsons has tormented the Vikings in the past, and now he will get a chance to do it for the Packers. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

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The NFC North was by far and away the best division in the NFL last season. It may be even stronger in 2025.

The Minnesota Vikings have done everything they could to join the battle, adding backup quarterback Carson Wentz and bringing home veteran wideout Adam Thielen in the final days of training camp.

The question is will it be enough to get the best of the defending division champion Detroit Lions or hold off the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers sent shock waves through the division by completing a trade for linebacker Micah Parsons with the Dallas Cowboys. Parsons is one of the most dangerous defensive players in the league, capable of taking over any game while terrorizing opposing offensive coordinators and quarterbacks. He has never had less than 12.0 sacks in any of his four seasons, and that is exactly what the Packers want to see.

They played fairly well on defense a year ago, ranking fifth in yards allowed and sixth in points allowed. However, nobody had more sacks than Rashan Gary with 7.5. As long as Parsons can reach 12.0 sacks or more, the Packers may have a defense that shocks opponents and creates big plays on an every-game basis.

The Packers needed to make a major move to compete with the Vikings and Lions, and now they have done just that.

The Vikings did just what they needed to do in adding an experienced backup quarterback in Wentz and a receiver who can complement Justin Jefferson in Thielen.

The signing of Wentz is purely insurance for another J.J. McCarthy injury or his potential poor play at quarterback. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has been betting on McCarthy ever since the Vikings were eliminated from the playoffs by the Rams in the Wild Card round in January.

That’s when he decided that the team needed to have McCarthy under center and he has not wavered since that time. O’Connell certainly has the credentials to decide if a quarterback has the goods to lead a team to the promised land. He did just that with Matthew Stafford and the Rams before coming to the Vikings.

He coaxed brilliant seasons out of Kirk Cousins and Sam Bradford and he almost turned journeyman Josh Dobbs into a successful signal caller. O’Connell has the know-how and the demeanor to get the best out of the quarterbacks he works with, but that does not mean he will always be successful.

Adam Thielen gives the Vikings another receiving option

The insertion of McCarthy into the starting lineup is a gamble for the Vikings, and it is one that the team has a much better chance of winning with the addition of Thielen.

The Vikings open the season next Monday night on the road against the hopeful Chicago Bears, but they may not have the secondary to stay with Jefferson and Thielen. Their top cover man is cornerback Jaylon Johnson, but he has not practiced since the start of training camp as a result of a soft tissue injury.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson could not say that Jaylon Johnson will be in the lineup against the Vikings, but it is clear that he will be operating at a major disadvantage even if he can play. If he is not at his best, it does not seem likely that the Chicago secondary could slow down the explosive Jefferson.

Thielen will certainly fill the bill as the team’s No. 2 receiver until Jordan Addison returns from his three-week suspension. Once Addison returns, he will give the Vikings a trio of skilled receivers that will be difficult for any other team in the NFL to match.

The key will be how well McCarthy can adapt to the NFL after missing his rookie season due to a torn meniscus. The Vikings and O’Connell believe he is ready, and the curtain is about to rise on this potential star.