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Chicago Bears' NFC North title odds tumble after Micah Parsons trade

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI | By Bryan Perez | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 9:37 AM ET

The Green Bay Packers pulled their best impression of the 2018 Chicago Bears after trading multiple first-round picks to the Dallas Cowboys for star edge rusher Micah Parsons.

No matter how you slice it, the Packers got significantly better by adding Parsons, who is on the fast track to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after starting his career with four straight seasons with at least 12 sacks or more.

The Packers sent their first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, along with defensive lineman Kenny Clark, to the Cowboys to get the deal done, and it didn't take long for the Bears' odds of winning the NFC North to get worse.

In fact, the entire division was flipped upside down after the blockbuster deal.

According to Fox Sports, the Green Bay Packers are now the favorites in the North, followed by the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. The Bears check in with the longest odds and are in fourth place.

Packers are now your NFC north favorites..

Lions and Vikings matchup well with two of the best tackle duos in the NFL.

The Bears not so much. #DaBears #Bears pic.twitter.com/TEqRhHgLQK
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) August 28, 2025

This is a worst-case scenario for the Chicago Bears, who are entering the 2025 NFL season with big questions at left tackle. Veteran Braxton Jones is the presumptive starter, but he won this summer's training camp battle by default. None of the Bears' younger options seized their opportunity to become a first-teamer. That leaves Jones, who's sort of healed from a serious ankle injury that prematurely ended his 2024 season.

Micah Parsons vs. Braxton Jones? Twice (two games)? Yikes. That's not a pleasant thought for Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams, or any Bears fan with a pulse.

What makes this trade worse -- beyond the Bears' plummeting chances to win the division -- is that Chicago also needed an edge rusher. With Parsons available, one has to wonder if general manager Ryan Poles made a call to check in on the Cowboys' asking price.

Indeed, the Bears aren't as close to a Super Bowl run as the Packers presumably are, but Parsons is only 26 years old. He's now a franchise cornerstone in Green Bay; he could've been that guy in Chicago as they continue building under Ben Johnson.

Unfortunately, hindsight is 20/20. Now, it's up to the Chicago Bears to scheme ways to protect Caleb Williams from the wrath of Micah Parsons for the next several years.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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