The schedule is here. Only the NFL can make a schedule reveal this big of a deal. There is so much turnover every year that it’s impossible to jump to any big conclusions, but there are some notable aspects worth examining. Will the Packers go 17-0? That’s doubtful. The Packers have a tough schedule with some difficult stretches throughout, but that’s life in the NFL. Let’s dive in.
Week 1: vs. Detroit Lions
Matt LaFleur finally gets to open a season at home. This is the first time the Packers will open their season at home since 2018. The Packers haven’t beaten the Lions at Lambeau since 2021. Overall, the Lions have won five of the last six matchups. The 15-win Lions had to replace coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, who took head coaching jobs. The Lions will have new play callers. What that means for the Lions’ offensive and defensive units remains to be seen, but change is bound to come. This is an exciting way to kick off the 2025 season.
Week 2: vs. Washington Commanders
Two weeks, two home games. The Packers will play on Thursday Night Football, which means they will start the season by playing two games in five days. Not ideal for any team, especially against two of the top teams in the NFC. Facing a Washington team that played in the NFC Championship Game last year, just four days after a tough matchup with Detroit, makes things difficult. It’s not hard to see the Packers starting the season 0-2, but if they manage to start 2-0, they have to feel good about the potential of this team.
Week 3: @ Cleveland Browns
The Packers finally go on the road, and it’s to Cleveland. Green Bay has won six out of its last seven against the Browns, with the last matchup being in 2021. The Browns won three games last season, and they aren’t expected to win many more than that this year. Who will be the quarterback? Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel? That’s hard to say. There’s a lot of unknown with this Cleveland squad.
Week 4: @ Dallas Cowboys
The Packers go on the road two weeks in a row, this time to Dallas. The Packers will face the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in primetime. Green Bay has won nine of its last ten games against the Cowboys. They haven’t lost in Dallas since 2007, and Matt LaFleur has never lost to the Cowboys. The Cowboys have a new head coach (Brian Schottenheimer) and a quarterback (Dak Prescott) coming off a season-ending injury. A trip to Jerry World is usually a good thing for Green Bay.
Week 5: BYE
The Packers get an early bye, which they likely aren’t happy about. The first four weeks include two home games and a mini-bye, followed by their actual bye week. From a travel and rest perspective, this is a favorable start to the season. The Packers won’t have another chunk of time off until after Thanksgiving. Buckle up. While most would prefer a later bye week, this won’t define a season. It’s notable that the defending Super Bowl champions had a Week 5 bye last season.
Week 6: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
After an early bye, the Packers stay at home to face the Bengals. The Bengals went 9-8 last season but have as much offensive firepower as anyone in Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins. Defensively, they have some question marks. They have a new coordinator, and their star pass rusher said he won’t play under his current contract. The Packers won their last two matchups with Cincinnati and will look to extend that streak coming off their bye week.
Week 7: @ Arizona Cardinals
The Packers hit the road again and now travel west to Arizona, which is their longest trip of the season. Green Bay has lost three of its last four games in Arizona, including that brutal playoff loss in 2010. The Jonathan Gannon-led Cardinals have yet to produce a winning record with him as the head coach. They possess some talented pieces in Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison Jr., James Conner, Trey Benson, Trey McBride, Josh Sweat, and Walter Nolen, but they still have work to do before they are considered NFC contenders.
Week 8: @ Pittsburgh Steelers
The Packers go on the road again, but this time they go east to Pittsburgh for Sunday Night Football. The main question leading into this matchup is, will Aaron Rodgers be a Steeler or not? If Rodgers becomes a Steeler, this game will be fireworks. Regardless of what Rodgers decides to do, this will be a tough game. A Mike Tomlin-coached team is always going to be solid, and their roster is loaded with talent at every position. For the Steelers, the only real question mark is at quarterback. This matchup has the potential to be the most-talked-about game of the 2025 season.
Week 9: vs. Carolina Panthers
After being on the road, the Packers return home to face a Carolina Panthers team that has produced seven-straight losing seasons. Second-year head coach Dave Canales started slow but had the Panthers trending in the right direction as the season went on. The Panthers have been trying to add talent to a depleted roster, including the addition of Tetairoa McMillan via the draft, but they still have a ways to go. Historically, the Packers have won five of their last six against the Panthers at Lambeau.
Week 10: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
A primetime, marquee matchup on Monday Night Football at Lambeau Field? Yes, please. The Packers finally get their long-awaited rematch against the Eagles. The defending Super Bowl champions went 14-3 last season, including two wins against the Packers. The Packers lost to the Eagles in Brazil to kick off the 2024 season and then again in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Philadelphia will return a majority of its nucleus and will be strong once again. The Eagles will also be coming into this game off of their bye week. This will be no easy feat for the Packers, but it’s a home game and they have an extra day to prepare.
Week 11: @ New York Giants
After playing a tough game on a Monday, the Packers will have a short week to rest and prepare before heading to New York. The Giants franchise has been heading in the wrong direction. Head Coach Brian Daboll and General Manager Joe Schoen have survived consecutive losing seasons, but this could be their last rodeo if things don’t start trending in the right direction. Quarterback issues have plagued the Giants for years, but this offseason, they attacked the position hard by adding Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Jaxson Dart. The Packers have lost three of their last four against the Giants in New York. This would be a great time to turn that streak around.
Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Packers return home for a divisional matchup with Minnesota. The Vikings won 14 games a season ago but now will look to a new quarterback this season, J.J. McCarthy. Unfortunately for the Packers, they have to wait until week 12 to face him. Matt LaFleur is 2-4 all-time against Kevin O’Connell, with the Vikings winning both matchups last season. It is a bit surprising that this game is scheduled as a noon CT kickoff, but if both teams are rolling, it’s always a possibility to be flexed to a later time slot.
Week 13: @ Detroit Lions
Happy Thanksgiving! The Packers will play on a holiday once again and travel to Detroit for their second matchup with the Lions. This will be the 39th time the Packers will play on Thanksgiving, and they are 16-20-2 all-time playing on this holiday. Fortunately, the distance of travel is not far. The Packers will be playing on a short week, but they will finally have another mini-bye since this game is on a Thursday. Because they play the early game and the flight is short, the Packers players and coaches will likely be home and at their own tables by dinner.
Week 14: vs. Chicago Bears
The Packers return home for another divisional matchup. This game marks three straight divisional games for the Packers. Newly-hired head coach Ben Johnson has had his share of success against the Packers when he was with the Lions. He’s now tasked with righting a ship that hasn’t seen a winning season since 2018. The Bears have invested heavily in their offensive and defensive lines this offseason. What to expect from the new-look Bears is unknown, but things seem to be trending in the right direction for the Packers’ long-time rivals.
Week 15: @ Denver Broncos
The Packers head west again, but this time it’s to Denver. Playing in Denver at an altitude of 5,280 feet above sea level is never easy. In fact, the Packers have lost eight of their last nine games in Denver. The Broncos are coming off a 10-7 record a year ago and made the playoffs in Sean Payton’s second year as the head coach. They also appear to have found their franchise quarterback in Bo Nix. Payton seems to have the Broncos on the right trajectory, making this a road trip the Packers won’t be looking forward to making.
Week 16: @ Chicago Bears
Yes, the Packers face the Bears twice in three weeks. This time it’s on the road and is on a Saturday, making it a short week after being in Denver. Not ideal. The game has the potential of being a primetime game, but that is up in the air. If the Bears are playing well and Ben Johnson has Caleb Williams looking like a potential star, this game will almost assuredly be a 7:00 kickoff. Not exactly a fun stretch for the Packers, and it doesn’t get easier from here.
Week 17: vs. Baltimore Ravens
After three out of their last four games being on the road, the Packers return to Lambeau to face the John Harbaugh-led Ravens. Because the Packers played on a Saturday in Week 16, they will get an extra day of rest. The Packers are 5-2 all-time against the Ravens. 2x MVP Lamar Jackson led the Ravens to a 12-5 record last season, and they were a Mark Andrews drop away from playing in the AFC Championship. While the Packers are fortunate to be back at home with an extra day of rest, this matchup could be one of their toughest of the season.
Week 18: @ Minnesota Vikings
The regular season will end on the road in Minnesota. Week 18 always brings uncertainty. Some teams are playing to make the playoffs or secure a seed, but some teams aren’t playing for anything. Regardless, matchups between the Packers and Vikings are always intense. This matchup is also the fifth road game since November 16. The Packers have lost three of their last four in Minnesota. In a perfect world, the Packers will have wrapped up one of the top seeds for the playoffs, and this game won’t matter, but that’s wishful thinking. Hopefully, this won’t be the last game of the Packers’ season.
Some Interesting Tidbits
- 1) The Packers won’t have to travel internationally during the 2025-2026 season, whereas the Vikings will play two consecutive games overseas.
- 2) Over the first five games, the Packers will face six new offensive and defensive coordinators.
- 3) There will be eight games at home and nine on the road, with the back half of their schedule being very road-heavy.
- 4) The Packers were 1-5 in the division last season, and a Karl Brooks’ finger tip away from being 0-6. This year, five of their divisional games will come after Week 12.
- 5) There are six standalone games for the Packers. In addition, they play on primetime at least four times, with the potential of up to seven.
- 6) The Packers have two home primetime games, and both of them are gold package games.
- 7) All but one of the games thus far is slated to be on the usual cable stations (CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN). Packers fans won’t need NFL Network, Netflix, or Peacock to watch any games. The only streaming service fans will need is Amazon Prime to watch the Week 2 matchup with Washington.
- 8) In terms of travel, Green Bay has it easier than most. They rank 26th amongst all teams in miles traveled with only 12,929 miles.
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