The NFC North is once again shaping up to be the best division in football, as it's the only division with every team having won at least three games. The Green Bay Packers sit atop at 5-1-1, and the Detroit Lions will almost certainly challenge for that spot all season.
The Bears and the Vikings, on the other hand, have some work to do to catch up and make the postseason. With the trade deadline right around the corner, these teams will try to make moves in the next week to close the gap between themselves and the top of the NFC.
In fact, Chicago has already made a move to address a major concern by bringing in a former Packer. NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday that the Bears were signing defensive end Jonathan Garvin to their practice squad.
Ex-Packers DE Jonathan Garvin Signs with the Bears to Start Week 9
Packers fans remember Garvin from his three-year stint in Green Bay between 2020 and 2023. The seventh-round pick by the Packers, Garvin, played in 38 games before getting released ahead of the 2023 season.
2021 was his best season as a pro, where he played 39% of the defensive snaps and registered 1.5 sacks, five QB hits, and a tackle for loss. He received a 59.6 defensive grade and a 58.1 pass rush grade on Pro Football Focus that season.
Garvin hasn't suited up in the regular season since his time in Titletown came to an end. He won a UFL championship with the Birmingham Stallions in 2024 and spent time on the 49ers practice squad. He spent the past two preseasons with San Francisco but didn't make the roster.
The Bears are desperate for more pass rush depth and quality, giving Garvin a chance to make his season debut as soon as Week 9.
Chicago only has three healthy defensive ends on the roster (Dayo Odeyingbo, Montez Sweat, and Daniel Hardy) after the injuries to Austin Booker and Dominique Robinson. They will surely try to add to that rotation at the trade deadline, but in the interim, Garvin is a prime candidate to be elevated to the active roster on Sunday to face the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Packers don't play the Bears until Week 14. If Garvin impresses the team, he could make the active roster by then and face his former squad. Otherwise, he will likely have to wait for his turn on the practice squad, assuming that the Bears get healthier or add talent to the pass rush rotation.