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With or without Aaron Rodgers, the folks in the desert didn’t give the Green Bay Packers much of a chance to win the NFC North on 2023.

Before it became clear that Rodgers’ time in Green Bay was over, Fanduel gave the Packers the third-best odds to win the division at +340. Now, with Rodgers expected to be playing for the New York Jets in 2023, Green Bay’s odds are at +410.

What is fascinating, though, is Fanduel believes the Packers will finish last in the NFC North. The last time that happened was 2005, when Green Bay went 4-12. In fact, the Packers have been either first or second in the division 14 of the past 17 years and third just three times (2008, 2017, 2018).

Fanduel currently has Detroit as the divisional frontrunner at +130. The Lions haven’t won the NFC North since 1993.

Minnesota, which won the division by four games in 2022, is picked for second at +310. Chicago, which had the worst record in the NFL last year (3-14) has the third-lowest odds at +320, followed by Green Bay (+410).

Here’s a look at the NFC North, with Rodgers likely to be out of the division for the first time in 19 years.

DETROIT

The Lions haven’t won a divisional crown since 1993, but could be poised to capture their first title in three decades.

Detroit began the 2022 season 1-6 and coach Dan Campbell found himself on the hot seat. But the Lions won eight of their final 10 games, narrowly missed the playoffs and could be one of the NFL’s most dangerous teams in 2023.

Detroit has added cornerbacks Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley, and safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson in free agency. That should immediately help upgrade a defense that ranked last in yards (392.4) and 30 ^th in points allowed (25.1) in 2022.

Detroit also has the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft, one it acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in the Matthew Stafford trade, and its own first round pick at No. 18. In addition to those picks, the Lions should get a full season out of second-year wideout Jameson Williams, the 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft who missed most of his rookie year with a torn ACL.

The offense ranked fourth in total yards (380.0) last year and fifth in points per game (26.6). And now, the defense should be much improved.

“We like the foundation we have with a young core,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said. “We have a culture in place that people can thrive in. I believe that we’re headed in the right direction, but we obviously still have a lot more work to do. That work has long since started. But again, our approach remains the same.”

MINNESOTA

The Vikings won the division by four games last year, but have just the second-best odds for 2023. That’s largely because Minnesota was 11-0 in one score games during the regular season, before losing a one score game in the playoffs.

Minnesota has lost defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, cornerback Patrick Peterson, linebacker Eric Kendricks and wideout Adam Thielen in free agency. On the flip side, the Vikings added defensive linemen Marcus Davenport and Dean Lowry, tight end Josh Oliver and cornerback Byron Murphy.

Is that enough stay at the top of the division?

Oddsmakers say no.

“There’s no one right way,” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said of building his roster. “I think what you want to do, obviously you want to make sure that you build in the draft because the access to the best players – the players with the best ceilings – typically is in the draft, right?

“Free agency does happen, and there are some players that shake free in free agency, but now every team wants that guy. Now that’s a competitive market, and now the prices got a little bit higher. Now in the draft, you have a chance to get them, build them in your building, build the culture with them.”

CHICAGO

The Bears are coming off a 3-14 season and had a roster that was lacking everywhere.

But Chicago could be the most improved team in football next year after making several free agency splashes, as well as the NFL’s biggest trade this offseason.

Chicago had more money to spend in free agency than any team in football, and has done just that. The Bears added linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, defensive end DeMarcus Walker, guard Nate Davis and tight end Robert Tonyan.

Chicago also traded the No. 1 pick in April’s draft to Carolina for Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore, the No. 9 pick and a second-round pick this year, a 2024 first-round pick and a second-round pick in 2025.

Moore and Tonyan give promising quarterback Justin Fields weapons he didn’t have last season. The defense, which ranked 32 ^nd in scoring last year, should be improved.

Chicago remains $41 million under the salary cap and could still make a handful of free agency splashes. The Bears also have three picks in the first two rounds of April’s draft.

“When you get pieces to the puzzle and start fitting them in, free agency first and then the draft, certainly that’s going to adjust through the offseason,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “We’re excited about doing that. We have a lot of good coaches. They do a great job of adjusting. And we’re excited to get that done.”

GREEN BAY

The Packers are coming off an 8-9 campaign, their first losing season since Matt LaFleur arrived in 2019. Now, Green Bay will have a new starting quarterback for the first time since 2008.

The Packers believe Jordan Love is ready. And Aaron Rodgers was the picture of mediocrity in 2022.

The Packers have taken some lumps in free agency, losing defensive linemen Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed, wideout Allen Lazard and tight end Robert Tonyan. Green Bay did re-sign return ace Keisean Nixon and a potential starting safety in Tavarius Moore.

While oddsmakers think the Packers are heading backwards, Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst feels differently.

“I believe in our group, I really do,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “I think every year’s new and this is a hard league but I believe in the players – certainly there’s going to be change within our roster, there’s no doubt about that – but I believe in the organization, how we do things.

“I believe in the process. Sometimes things don’t go your way and you look at it and you’ve got to be able to tweak things, but I believe in the people in this building and I’m excited for 2023.”

Another voice has joined the chorus of those proposing an increase in the retirement age. Nikki Haley, who has declared her intention to run for the Republican Party presidential nomination in 2024, announced her willingness to raise the retirement age for Social Security and Medicare during a political event in Iowa. She adds her support to an idea that has recently become the rage in the halls of Congress .

Why are they talking about raising the Social Security retirement age?

There have been built-in increases in the retirement age for Social Security for some time now. Those increases, however, end with people born in 1960 and beyond. Despite a recent blip down because of Covid, life expectancies have steadily risen.

“The reason why there is so much talk about raising the retirement age is because people are living longer than ever before,” says Dennis Shirshikov, the head of growth for Awning.com in New York City and a professor at the City University of New York where he teaches finance, economics, and accounting. “As life expectancy continues to increase, it only makes sense that retirement age should also go up.”

Does it matter if they raise the Social Security retirement age?

Some workers can only continue for so long before they must stop that line of work. Professional athletes represent the most extreme example of this. There are other types of work that stress the body both physically and mentally in such ways as to lead to shorter careers. This suggests significant consequences should the retirement age be lifted.

“I believe there is a legitimate question of fairness if we are talking about the Social Security retirement age,” says Clint McCalla, senior wealth manager at LourdMurray in San Diego. “The physical toll that each profession takes is very different. For people who work in a labor intensive trade, it makes absolutely no sense to raise their retirement age from where it currently stands, or to make these individuals go through a burdensome disability filing process to claim those in the interim.”

Still, other jobs, particularly side hustles and other modestly sized entrepreneurial ventures that fulfill your lifetime dream, may cause you not to want to stop working. After all, isn’t that the only real definition of success ? With these, you can happily continue with them well past the traditional retirement age. Indeed, they may make the very notion of retirement moot.

“The concept of retirement was first introduced by many governments as a way of encouraging older people to leave their jobs and make room for the next generation,” says Doug Dahmer, CEO and founder of Retirement Navigator in Burlington, Ontario. “These days, there is a highly likely probability that retirement will disappear for past socio-economic reasons. Significantly longer lifestyles are causing huge increases for governments to cover retirement income programs. With information coming out that there will soon be more retired people than workers, it will be necessary to encourage older people to remain employed. Most jobs no longer have the high physical demands of previous generations, and therefore older people are no longer seen as less productive, and in fact, their wisdom, reliability and work ethic are sought after. In all, retirement is simply a human created enigma which for practical reasons can be continually modified to suit the general well-being of the general population.”

Is it worth going back to work after retirement?

It may sound strange, but people are returning to work after retirement . This is especially true now as inflation has created an urgency to increase post-retirement income.

“Working after full retirement age can help you make sure you are in a better position financially for the rest of your life,” says Lawrence Sprung, founder of Mitlin Financial in Hauppauge, New York.

Can you come out of retirement and work again?

There are many reasons and many ways to go back to work after retirement. Not only might you desire additional income, but you might find yourself in need of that greater social engagement that work provides. Maybe you have just grown tired of the boring day-to-day routine. It could also be that your hobby has grown to where you’ve learned how to make money from it.

Once the opportunity arises, you may very well wonder if you’re allowed to work again after you’ve “retired.” Well, “retirement” can mean different things to different people. It may mean leaving your lifelong career. It doesn’t necessarily mean starting to collect Social Security.

“You are able to turn on Social Security without any sort of penalty after full retirement age,” says Chris Kampitsis, a financial planner at The SKG Team at Barnum Financial Group in Elmsford, New York. “Alternatively, working allows you to continue to defer it so that the payment is significantly bigger once it is necessary to replace your income.”

What happens if you work after full retirement age?

Social Security, though, represents only one thing that can be affected should you decide to work after you “retire.” You should try your best to assess the ramifications well before you start earning post-retirement income.

“If you work after full retirement age, the number of benefits you receive may be impacted,” says Derek Miser, investment advisor and CEO at Miser Wealth Partners in Knoxville, Tennessee. “Depending on your earnings, you may have to pay taxes on a portion of your Social Security benefits or have your benefits reduced. If you are collecting an employer pension and work after full retirement age, you may have to wait until you reach a certain age to be eligible for full benefits. It is important to understand the implications of working after full retirement age before making any decisions.”

Can you collect Social Security and still work full time?

This is the biggest question people have. The simple answer is “yes.”

“After reaching full retirement age, there is no impact on Social Security income,” says Emily C. Rassam, senior financial planner at Archer Investment Management in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The more complicated answer is “yes, but….”

“You can get Social Security retirement benefits and work if you are past the full retirement age,” says Robert Reilly, a member of the finance faculty at the Providence College School of Business and a financial advisor at PRW Wealth Management in Boston. “However, if you are younger than full retirement age and make more than the yearly limit, your benefits will be reduced.”

What kinds of jobs do people take post-retirement?

Remember that comment earlier about fulfilling your lifetime dream? That’s the ideal job. It’s usually in the form of a side hustle or similar lower stress gig. There are as many kinds of post-retirement jobs as there are retirees.

Which one do you imagine yourself doing? Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur ? Or would you rather sit back, relax, and enjoy greeting people? Any job will do. It’s up to you.

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