These days, losing talented players in free agency can make or break a franchise. Here’s a look at players leaving their NFC North teams:
Chicago Bears
Key losses: WR Darnell Mooney
Chicago had high hopes for Mooney after 81 catches, 1,055 yards and four scores in 2021 but since then, he’s had just 71 catches for 907 yards.
According to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs, Mooney declined a three-year, $30M contract extension prior to last season. He got $39M from the Falcons, leaving D.J. Moore and recently acquired Keenan Allen as the team’s top receivers.
Detroit Lions
Key losses: G Jonah Jackson, C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Jackson signed a three-year $51M deal with the Rams where he’ll reunite with quarterback Matthew Stafford. The veteran left guard started 57 games in four seasons with Detroit, making the Pro Bowl in 2021 and allowing 11 career sacks. Kayode Awosika, an undrafted free agent in 2023, will assume Jackson’s spot unless the team finds a better option in the draft.
Detroit signed Gardner-Johnson to a one-year, $6.5M contract last offseason but played just three regular-season games after suffering a torn pectoral muscle in Week 2. Johnson still had 17 tackles, three passes defended and one interception in those games and 12 tackles and an interception in the playoffs. The 26-year-old safety signed a three-year deal to return to Philadelphia in 2024.
Green Bay Packers
Key losses: RB Aaron Jones, G Jon Runyan Jr., S Darnell Savage
Jones may be the third-leading rusher in Packers history, but the team couldn’t resist adding Josh Jacobs to the roster. Jones led the league in rushing two years ago but Jones led all postseason running backs in 2023 with 5.8 yards per carry.
The seven-year veteran signed with rival Minnesota on a one-year, $7M deal while Jacobs joined the Packers on a four-year, $48M contract.
Savage was the team’s first-round pick in 2019 and is one of eight NFL safeties with 55-plus tackles, five or more passes defensed and an interception each season from 2019-22 according to stathead.com. The 26-year-old safety signed a three-year, $21.7M deal with Jacksonville.
Runyan Jr. will travel to New York where Runyan Sr. works as the NFL’s Vice President of Policy and Rules Administration. His son didn’t miss a game in four NFL seasons but split time with second-year guard Sean Rhyan as the season wore on.
Minnesota Vikings
Key losses: QB Kirk Cousins, DE Marcus Davenport, DE Danielle Hunter
Cousins shocked the NFL by signing a four-year, $180M deal with Atlanta. The 35-year-old quarterback had a chance to pass Fran Tarkenton as Minnesota’s all-time leading passer but now gets to throw passes to Mooney in Atlanta.
Recently acquired Sam Darnold should take over for Cousins, but with a pair of first-round picks in 2024, one of the draft’s top prospects could be on the table.
Davenport played in just four games after signing a one-year, $13M deal to join the Vikings in 2023. The team should have no trouble replacing his seven tackles and two sacks.
Replacing Hunter is another story. The former team captain and four-time Pro Bowler had 461 tackles, 87.5 sacks and 11 forced fumbles with the Vikings. Minnesota hopes Jonathan Greenard can fill the void after a breakout year with the Texans. Greenard signed a four-year, $76M deal with Minnesota.
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