4 reasons why the Vikings are a good situation for GM candidates
By Luke Parrish
NFC North is a two-team race
As of the past few years, the NFC North has really been a two-team battle between the Packers and Vikings. The Bears and Lions, on the other hand, have struggled to find an identity and have not challenged the division title. If we are being honest, the Packers have run the division since 2010, as the Vikings have only won the title twice.
Chicago has just one division title since 2010, while the Lions have never won the division since its inception in 2002. You would have to go back to 1993 to find Detroit’s last division title when they won the NFC Central.
With Aaron Rodgers only getting older and the Lions still at the bottom of the league’s standings, the NFC North seems to be a favorable division in the future. Once Rodgers leaves Green Bay – if he ever actually does – the Vikings should be the favorite.
General managers and coaches will be drawn to such a favorable position, even if it takes them a year or two to get into the driver’s seat. Most regimes are given a window of four or five years to really make a difference and that would align them for a perfect tenure. They can turn the franchise into a division favorite just before their time is up.
If not, they can still take a young quarterback in the draft in 2023 or 2024 and prolong their stay. Either way, the current state of the NFC North should give Vikings candidates the feeling that they can capture a division crown in 2022 or 2023 while being the long-term favorite once Rodgers is out of the picture.