In true midwest fashion, the NFC North is often a who's who of "exes" and people everyone knows. The three degrees of separation applies to the NFC North maybe more than any other division in the NFL, and for whatever reason, the bitterness runs extremely deep.
There is probably no more infamous example of this than Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre back in the late 2000s, when he wanted to play for the Minnesota Vikings if the Packers didn't want him, but they refused, so he want through an entire bizarre saga that resulted in him being traded to the New York Jets, eventually cut, and signing with the Vikings anyway.
There are more modern examples of players being passed around the NFC North like Aaron Jones from the Packers to the Vikings and Za'Darius Smith, who at this point only needs to add the Chicago Bears to his list of teams played for and he'll have played for the literal entire division.
Seeing familiar faces is nothing new for NFC North teams. Which former Packers rivals could make their way back to the NFC North in 2025 NFL Free Agency?
3 former NFC North rivals who could return to face Packers in 2025
1. Za'Darius Smith, EDGE
I mean, come on, right? Za'Darius Smith has played for the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and Detroit Lions at this point. He's got to find a way to sign with the Chicago Bears. I'm not sure that any player in league history has ever played for all four teams in the same division (at least in the current divisional alignment).
It's possible that Smith could be making history. And it just so happens that the Bears could honestly really use some help in the pass rush department. New defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus should be taking on as many pass rushers as are willing to help him out. The Bears need to get off the field as quickly as possible to give Caleb Williams as many possessions as possible.
Smith was still very effective last year for the Lions so it wouldn't be a surprise if he comes back to Detroit, either.