For the most part, the NFL schedule release is annoying. After all, everyone already knows who they are facing and where they are playing. But the reality is that dates, order of the games, and logistics do matter. And the Green Bay Packers might not be happy about how things shook out.
Ultimately, great teams find a way to win and overcome these challenges. But there are several reasons for complaint, and those factors might complicate what already is a long and tough season.
Early bye week
This is not great, because the Packers will have their bye in Week 5, in early October. This means that Green Bay will have 13 consecutive games to finish out the regular season, and if the team goes to the playoff without a bye, the situation only gets more extreme.
Two short weeks
This is not normal. The Packers will have two Thursday games at different points of the season. It's a Thursday Night Football game against the Washington Commanders in Week 2 and the Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions in Week 13. You would expect a bye in Week 12 to mitigate the second short week, but that didn't happen. So the Packers will truly have two short weeks, and then two minibyes after that to recover.
Last year, the Packers also had two Thursday games, but they were in consecutive weeks (Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving, and Lions right thereafter), so there was only one short week.
Bye difference at a key spot
One of the biggest games of the season for the Packers is a Monday Night Football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10. To make things more challenging, the Eagles will have a bye exactly in the previous week, giving this physical team extra rest before facing Green Bay at Lambeau Field. At least the Packers will have eight days after the Panthers game, which is also in Green Bay. However, they have a shorter week before Week 11, and it's a road game against the Giants.
Across the country
The Packers will have a tough logistics stretch between Weeks 7 and 8. It's two consecutive road games, and each one will be on a different side of the country. In Week 7, the Packers go to the West Coast to play against the Arizona Cardinals. Seven days later, they play on Sunday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game that may be special because of Aaron Rodgers, if he indeed signs with the Steelers.
Heavy road schedule
This year, every NFC team plays eight home and nine road games. It's good for the Packers to avoid international games, but that also means there will be nine real road games. Moreover, Green Bay will play its first two games of the season at Lambeau Field, which creates a heavy road schedule later in the year. The Packers will play three of their last four, five of their last eight, and nine of their last 15 games as the away team.
Notes nobody beyond more cares about:
> The Packers will play on Thanksgiving for the third consecutive year. They beat the Detroit Lions 29-22 in 2023, and the Miami Dolphins 30-17 last season. Green Bay has a 16-20-2 all-time record on Thanksgiving.
> Even though FOX is the usual home for NFC games, the NFL has allowed flexed matchups over the past few years. The Packers-Lions game in Week 1 will be broadcasted by CBS.
> Matt LaFleur will be the head coach of the home team in Week 1 for the first time in his career.
> It's the first Packers-Lions in Week 1 since 2005. In this period, Green Bay played the Chicago Bears six times and the Minnesota Vikings thrice to open the regular season.
> The Packers won't face the Chicago Bears before Week 14, then play their rivals twice in a three-week span (Weeks 14 and 16).
> The Packers will presumably face Lamar Jackson for the first time. In 2021, he was hurt, and Tyler Huntley started for the Baltimore Ravens.
> The final two games of the season, vs. Ravens and at Vikings, don't have a set date yet. The NFL leaves them open, with the flexibility to schedule them for Saturday or Sunday depending on playoff implications.
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