The schedule release is right around the corner, but the Green Bay Packers already know who they’re facing in the 2025 season. Looking over their list of opponents, the Packers can expect to see quite a few old friends in enemy colors, 16 to be exact (assuming they all make their team’s final roster). Playing against some is sure to hurt more than others, whether it’s emotionally or just a tough player to play against. So naturally, I decided to rank them by how painful it will be to watch the team play against them.
I excluded players who didn’t take a snap for the Packers (Lew Nichols III and Jonathan Ford, for example).
Let’s dive in!
16. Royce Newman - Arizona Cardinals
Years with Packers: 2021-2024
I’m actually looking forward to playing against him. I hope he makes the final roster and is starting when the team plays the Cardinals. The Packers’ defensive line struggled at times last year, but I feel pretty confident in whoever ends up lining up against Newman in this match-up.
15. Anthony Johnson Jr - New York Giants
Years with Packers: 2023
Johnson Jr. was a 7th-round pick who played in 12 games and had 1 INT. The Packers' 2024 draft and offseason additions at the safety position left him without much of a role on the team, so they released him on cutdown day last year. The Giants picked him up on waivers, but he hasn’t done much for them either. I don’t know if we’ll see him against the Packers, so he goes here.
14. Samori Toure - Chicago Bears
Years with Packers: 2022-2023
Samori Toure was another 7th-round player who never had a huge impact. He played in 22 games over his 2 years with the team, mainly in a special-teams role. Toure started in 2 of those games and caught 1 TD on his 13 career pass attempts on offense. He has been on the Bears’ practice squad since 2024, and the only reason he ranks higher than Johnson Jr. here is because it’s the Bears.
13. Corey Bojorquez - Cleveland Browns
Years with Packers: 2021
Corey “Bojo Blast” Bojorquez joined the Packers in August 2021 and started out having what felt like a solid season that included a booming 82-yard punt. He struggled in the winter months and that led to the Packers choosing Pat O’Donnell over him in 2022. Bojorquez has been with the Browns ever since and led the league last year in punts, and punting yards (Browns offense...woof!). He lands here on this list because he was more important to the Packers during his time here than other players, but also, I hope the Packers are seeing a lot of his punting when they meet.
12. Ty Summers - New York Giants
Years with Packers: 2019-2021
Once a year, I am reminded that Ty Summers exists, and this was that time. He was a pretty core special-teams player during his time with the Packers, but never really made a jump beyond that. He’s floated around a bit before he was signed to the Giants’ practice squad last year and eventually elevated to the active roster. I feel neutral about the Packers facing him, if he even makes the final roster this season. I’ll probably forget he exists again after I write this paragraph.
11. Josiah Deguara - Arizona Cardinals
Years with Packers: 2020-2023
I debated putting him lower on the list since I’m not really concerned about the Packers facing him as a player, but this is where emotion comes into play. Deguara was what was supposed to be head coach Matt LaFleur’s *guy*. This was going to be his TE/HB gadget player that came in and threw the defense for a loop. Sadly, he tore his ACL in his 5th game ever and never really found a role after that. So now he’s just a “what could have been” player, which is a bummer.
10. Greg Van Roten - New York Giants
Years with Packers: 2012-2013
Going to be totally and completely honest, I didn’t even know Van Roten was still in the league. I had completely forgotten about him, which is crazy because he has started every game the last 2 seasons. He didn’t spend much time with the Packers and didn’t make much of an impression. The only reason he’s even as high as he is on this list is due to the pain of how old it’ll make me feel to know they’re playing against a guy that was a Packer nearly 15 years ago.
9. Yosh Nijman - Carolina Panthers
Years with Packers: 2019-2023
The next 3 could probably be in any real order, because they’re all similar: an offensive lineman that we all had high hopes for that never worked out. Nijman lands here because at one point, it felt like the Packers might have found a starting OT of the future after he showed promise as their swing tackle. However, he struggled in 2023 and eventually lost his job to current offensive tackles Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom.
8. Lucas Patrick - Cincinnati Bengals
Years with Packers: 2016-2021
Patrick started his time with the Packers on the practice squad but found himself starting at guard and eventually center in his final season. Patrick was a rollercoaster to watch some weeks, but he is one of the longer tenured players on this list, so he goes right in the middle.
7. Jon Runyan, Jr. - New York Giants
Years with Packers: 2020-2023
I gotta say I wasn’t expecting the Giants to have the most former Packers on their roster (I just remembered Ty Summers exists again). I put him highest because he was fine in his time with the team. Fine to the point I wanted them to keep him when his contract was up. However, the second I saw his contract details with the Giants, I changed my tune. They paid a lot of money for “fine.”
6. Simone Biles’ Husband/Jonathan Owens - Chicago Bears
Years with Packers: 2023
This is purely an emotion-based ranking because the Packers’ safety room does not miss Owens at all. I really just miss seeing Simone Biles in green and gold (and GOAT) at Lambeau. And it hurts even more because once again, it’s the Bears.
5. AJ Dillon - Philadelphia Eagles
Years with Packers: 2020-2024
I know people will be shocked he isn’t higher, but I think I’ve just gotten used to not seeing him on the field already. He also didn’t have as big of an on-field impact as some of the others, which puts him at 5. I think it’ll hurt more when I see him playing in another color green, but until then I’m really just bummed it didn’t work out.
4. Eric Wilson - Minnesota Vikings
Years with Packers: 2022-2024
He goes ahead of Dillon because he was one of the few bright spots on special teams, and I think overall, he will have more of an impact with his new team than AJ. Also, it automatically hurts more if you’re staying in the division. Technically, he played with the Vikings for 3 years after they signed him as a UDFA in 2017, so I can’t really complain that he’s returning, but I’m still going to because that’s how the Internet works.
3. TJ Slaton - Cincinnati Bengals
Years with Packers: 2021-2024
Slaton worked himself into a starting role in his last 2 seasons with the Packers and became a reliable run defender on a pretty average defensive line overall. I struggled with where to put him on this list. Overall, I don’t think he’s an incredible player and agree with the team moving on from him, so this is more of a “state of affairs” ranking. The Packers’ defensive line has struggled, and the team didn’t do much to address it this offseason outside of hiring a new coach. Warren Brinson was their only DT taken in the draft, and that came in the 6th round, so not sure you can expect much from him. If the line continues to struggle this season, it’s going to be not-so-fun to play against someone that’s been your starting guy in the middle for the last 2 seasons, even if he was average.
2. Oren Burks - Cincinnati Bengals
Years with Packers: 2018-2021
I am tired of losing to this man. He left the Packers, and all he’s done is beat them in big games. He was with the San Francisco 49ers when they handed the Packers an excruciating playoff loss in Jordan Love’s first season as a starter. And we all remember him with the Eagles this past season, where he caused the catastrophic ripple effect fumble on the first play of their playoff match-up (it was a helmet-to-helmet, by the way). Get him away from the Packers, please. Forever. A curse upon this man’s household!
1. Aaron Jones - Minnesota Vikings
Years with Packers: 2017-2023
I mean, who else would it be? I’m still not over this one. For the record, I do not think the Packers made the wrong decision and am grateful they have Josh Jacobs as their RB. However, I miss Aaron Jones being a Green Bay Packer. Not only for his play on the field or even the great locker room leader he is, but the guy he was to the community. He certainly made it sting less at times with some of the “jealous ex-girlfriend” type things he’s said and done (“bank vault”? really?). But then he does stuff like hand out food at a local shelter in Green Bay ahead of the draft this year, and it makes me want to hug him. Jones is also still playing at a pretty high level and is the best player on this list, which made this an easy decision even without the emotional piece. Add in the fact that he went to the Vikings, who swept the Packers last year, and it was an easy choice for #1.
Honorable Mention: Aaron Rodgers - Pittsburgh Steelers...maybe.
Years with Packers: 2005-2022
There’s still no confirmation on what Rodgers will officially do this season, whether it be sign with a team (Steelers being the most likely) or retire. But this list didn’t feel right without mentioning the possibility of a match-up happening given he’s one of the best players in franchise history. If he does decide to sign with the Steelers, he would shoot up to the #1 spot on this list immediately because I really don’t want to see him playing against the Packers. At all. Ever. It will be weird, sad, and probably make me feel really old. Not to mention just how annoying the commentary surrounding it all would be weeks leading up to it. So I’d rather just not...it would be too many emotions at once and the Packers give me enough without him in the mix.
(Za’Darius Smith is also still floating around without a team, but I don’t care enough about him to include him in this ranking. But I’ll make sure to include him when I rank embarrassing jewelry purchases next time.)