There’s a lot of corn between Minneapolis and Detroit. And a lot of good football.
I’ve been happily racking up miles on my rental car to traverse five states and watch each of the NFC North teams. The division is the deepest in the NFL, with a real shot of producing a Super Bowl team. It’s not hyperbolic to say that any one of the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers or Minnesota Vikings could chase a title.
So here’s what I learned along the way — with a few thoughts on other happenings around the league. This is Sound Smart, where I try to spin forward, dive deeper, think outside the box and read between the lines.
1.
EAGAN, Minn. — Vikings quarterbacks Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy dropped back next to each other — feet apart — and ripped passes downfield at the exact same moment. There’s something unique and aesthetically pleasing about two quarterbacks competing for one spot.
Their warm-ups are like watching INDYCAR teammates trying to pass each other — careful and synchronized but not always cordial.
The Vikings are doing everything they can not to pick a favorite, in what they say and in what they do. But fair is never fair. Not really.
Even if head coach Kevin O’Connell and passing game coordinator/QB coach Josh McCown aren’t picking favorites, Murray is the betting favorite to win the job. He’s the better and more experienced player. And it’s hard to imagine O’Connell picking McCarthy after the young QB face-planted in his first NFL action last year.
Veteran Kyler Murray (1) has the edge in the QB competition with J.J. McCarthy (9) at Vikings camp. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
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The practice I saw last Monday didn’t exactly make the case for McCarthy.
The QBs were evenly matched all practice until the 2-minute drive, which concluded the session. The simulation set up the offense with 75 seconds remaining in the second quarter, with the Vikings down 13-10. The drive started from Minnesota’s 25-yard line. It stands to reason that the Vikings wanted to score, but not at the cost of a turnover.
Since 2022, the Vikings are 20-2 when winning the turnover battle, per FOX Sports Research. They rank fifth among all teams in that span.
Chew on that stat as you read what comes next.
Murray’s drive was ugly — with a throwaway and another pass that went to no one, an apparent miscommunication with his receiver (or a miscue by the QB). The end result would’ve been a punt to the opposing offense with less than a minute left on the clock.
On McCarthy’s drive, he nearly threw an interception on his first pass, only to toss the ball to cornerback Byron Murphy on the drive’s third play. It was a turnover — and a mistake likely worth between three and seven points.
That play felt emblematic of what’s to come with this QB competition. It’s only nominally close. For those watching intently, the winner is already obvious. It’s going to be Murray. And when he wins, it’s going to be exciting to see the way this offense shapes itself to him.
“Kyler is a unique athlete,” McCown told me last week. “It’s just making sure that we’re buttoned up on where we’re supposed to be when [he] gets outside the pocket and giving him opportunities to maximize his skill set when he does move around.
“But obviously, it starts with being in the pocket and playing within rhythm and within our scheme, too. So you balance those things accordingly, but also want to give way to a guy who does have a unique skill set.”
The beauty of this offense is that it’s like an expensive golf club. If the golfer (Murray or McCarthy) can let the club do the work, then that’ll be enough. Receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings, tight end T.J. Hockenson and running backs Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason are all very good players.
“Every throw you make, we want you to believe in that throw and feel great about it and trust your eyes and all that. But at the same time, don’t feel like you have to put your Superman cape on and win this specific down for us with one throw,” McCown told me. “You’re not going to win one game with one throw.”
It’ll be a mindset shift for Murray, who had to carry the offense, year after year, with the Arizona Cardinals. But if he can cut out the hero ball (and the untimely turnovers) and let the skill players do the work for the offense, the Vikings will make the playoffs.
So far, so good.
“I think mentally, he’s definitely ahead of where I thought,” O’Connell told reporters this weekend.
And just because Murray has always been the likely winner, that doesn’t mean the QB competition was a sham. It’s almost inevitable that both Murray and McCarthy play for the Vikings in 2026. The Cardinals essentially benched Murray last year, so that’s always possible in Minnesota. But more likely, it’ll be an injury, considering Murray has missed at least three games in four of the past five seasons. McCarthy will likely have to play, and when he does, these training camp reps will serve the Vikings well.
“He is showing that improvement, and everybody’s arc is different,” McCown said of McCarthy, who missed his rookie year of 2024 with a knee injury. “We’ll continue to develop him into the player we think he can be.”
If the Vikings do, in fact, make the playoffs (whether by playing multiple quarterbacks or just one), then O’Connell should retain his crown as the NFL’s Top QB Guru. If the Vikings and their QBs struggle, well, we can cross that bridge if we get there.
2.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — It’s not exactly a gilded age for running backs. But it’s safe to say they matter again, both schematically and financially. Just ask Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who signed a three-year extension worth $67.5 million, with a record $22.5 million average for a running back.
As is the nature of a market-setting deal, Gibbs’ contract will echo across the NFL’s financial landscape. Just like Bijan Robinson’s recent deal, which was a three-year, $66.5 million extension with the Atlanta Falcons, Gibbs’ contract advances the market — meaning more money for running backs at every level, particularly at the top.
That’s, no doubt, why Gibbs’ phone was blowing up with texts from superstars across the NFL. Gibbs said that Derrick Henry, Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, James Cook, David Montgomery and De’Von Achane reached out to “show love.”
“We’re all in this together,” Gibbs said.
Looking at the fine details of Gibbs’ deal, the good news is that $51.5 million is guaranteed. It’s just that he won’t see $22.3 million until 2029 (in salary) and the remaining $21.3 million until 2030. I’m not saying it’s a bad deal by any means, but it’s backloaded — which makes it more team-friendly than the numbers originally revealed.
It’s a big step in the right direction, however, that 1) two running backs (Gibbs and Robinson) successfully conducted hold-ins and 2) Gibbs was able to cash in about $16 million in new money in 2026 and Robinson will get $18.7 million this season.
It’s worth noting that, while at Lions camp, I saw how badly the Lions need Gibbs’ explosiveness. There simply wasn’t the same level of offensive threat without Gibbs leading the run game (especially after David Montgomery was traded to the Houston Texans this offseason). All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was a superstar, as usual, and speedster Jameson Williams popped for big plays. But the offense, as a whole, didn’t look consistent. At times, it looked lost. That’s because Detroit’s identity starts with the run game, which is to say that it starts with Gibbs.
He used that leverage. And his value was very real.
“This process was extremely stressful, because I just wanted to play ball,” Gibbs said on Friday after practice, during which he was limited, still ramping up to full participation. “I missed being out there with my teammates and coaches. It’s just fun being out there right now with my pads and stuff on. It just feels a lot better.”
Jahmyr Gibbs is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro in his three seasons with the Lions. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
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I was one of many who didn’t like the Cardinals drafting running back Jeremiyah Love at the top of Round 1. I still don’t love it. The problem is that a rookie’s contract (even a top-five pick) can provide teams with rare value at a premium position like QB, edge, left tackle, receiver or even cornerback. A top-five rookie running back, however, isn’t going to be a bargain. After all these deals, Love now ranks 10th among running backs in average annual value. That’s better.
And when adding up Love’s high draft selection and salary alongside extensions for Achane, Gibbs and Robinson this offseason, it’s clear: Running backs matter again. Money talks. Teams care about RBs again.
3.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers star edge Micah Parsons said he’s still sometimes using crutches following his late December surgery to repair his ACL and meniscus. He’s not yet in the change-of-direction phase of his rehab. He’s just working through plyometric exercises.
But he was clear: Don’t worry for him.
Worry about him.
“I think when you come out of these situations, you’re either going to be better or you’re worse. And for me, I’ve done everything I possibly can to be better,” Parsons said at Lambeau Field last Tuesday. “People are worried about the knee. They should be worried about how I’m going to play when I get back. The anger, the frustration — the things that I’m going to have to let out because of how long it’s been since I played.
“I think that’s what people should really worry about: How great is Micah going to be when he gets back? Not about when I get back because that’s the short term. It’s about how great I’m going to be, how I can help my teammates, and how far we’re going to go into a playoff run.”
The Packers traded for Parsons ahead of the 2025 season. It was one of the biggest trades for a defender in NFL history. And it preceded the biggest contract for a non-quarterback — ever.
He played 14 games and logged 12.5 sacks before suffering the injury, which can take years for a full recovery, even if players tend to return to the field after nine months.
But Parsons didn’t sound like Eeyore. Not in the slightest.
“I feel like a much better player in the sense of how I feel. I feel more stable. I feel stronger. You know, I probably was blind to a lot of things that I probably should have been working on that I got a chance to correct and get stronger during this process,” Parsons said.
He seems to have taken on a new attention to detail around his body, his strength-building, his stretching and his recovery. He said he’s focused on the process — not upon the timetable for his return. He wouldn’t give an exact week of the NFL season when he wanted to play. That said, there is one game that everyone (except for those in Dallas) would like to see Parsons on the field. And that’s for Packers-Cowboys in Week 6 on Oct. 18.
“I think it’s very realistic,” Parsons said. “Me and the staff, we’ve got to put the work in. We’ve got to get to the point where I’m feeling great, and we say, ‘Micah, you’ll be in a really good phase.’ Is it possible? Yes.”
4.
Normally, the Hall of Fame Game doesn’t move me. It’s not a big deal when a quarterback converts a clutch third down — not when it’s the first preseason matchup.
But Cardinals third-round pick Carson Beck did something impressive with what is normally a throwaway opportunity. This throw exemplified a sharp performance from Beck. And it revealed the QB competition that is quietly brewing in Arizona.
And there wasn’t really supposed to be a QB competition. When the Cardinals drafted Beck in Round 3, it wasn’t a pick that screamed: This guy’s our starter! And to that point, Jacoby Brissett decided to hold out, knowing that he should be QB1. He managed to get a reworked, one-year deal worth $15.5 million. But unintentionally, Brissett also seems to have opened the door to lose his starting job. It’s oh-so early in training camp (and preseason), but Beck lit up his first preseason performance. (And now he’s going viral for no-look passes at padded practice?!)
Now is when everyone says: Oh, but the Panthers only played vanilla defenses! Oh, but the backups were in! Oh, but Carson Beck is just the reincarnation of Kenny Pickett!
That might all be true. But Beck only did what he could, playing a sensational game that no doubt left the Cardinals wanting to see more.
If he can keep this up — and his game looks polished as they throw him into higher-difficulty situations — then he could earn the starting job. We were already likely to see him this season. Now I’m wondering if we’ll see him in Week 1.
5.
If there’s one thing I’ve observed about Bears coach Ben Johnson, it’s that he takes things personally. He doesn’t suppress his emotions. He works with them.
Take, for example, the widespread conversation about how the Bears might regress. In a sit-down with him earlier this offseason, he needled me for bringing up the historical trend of teams regressing after playing as many close victories as the Bears did in 2025. Johnson later went out of his way to bring that topic up at a press conference: “We’re the No. 1 candidate for regression.”
In terms of his boiling emotions, Johnson has also clearly enjoyed provoking a WWE-level rivalry with the Packers.
So maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that, when I asked Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown for his best story about Ben Johnson, Detroit’s former offensive coordinator, he shared this.
“It’s always funny watching Ben on game days,” St. Brown told me. “He got super amped up when he was here, especially when he was calling plays. He would talk s— to the opposing defensive coordinators, but he’s so far away they can’t hear him. But we can see him on the sideline talking s—.”
No matter whose sideline he’s on, Ben Johnson, who was an assistant for the Lions from 2019 to 2024, is all business. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
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That’s the love of the game right there. Just a coach, talking smack to an opponent that can’t even hear him.
“He’s a competitor, man. He loves winning, and I think we see similarities in each other. I think that’s why we got along so well,” St. Brown told me. “When he first got the OC job, I went up to his office a few times. … We’ve had some deep conversations. We both felt like we could be better. He’s kind of like me — he wants to be the best every time. He’s a perfectionist.”
Every single current and former player will attest to Johnson’s character and coaching.
“I love Ben, man. That’s my dog,” St. Brown said.
That makes the story, and the NFC North rivalry, all the more enjoyable.
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