The 2026 Green Bay Packers schedule is here, and it's hard not to be excited.
Every team has its pros and cons when the schedule drops, and the Packers are no different. They're facing one of the tougher strength of schedules in the league based on how their opponents performed in 2025 — a combined .538 winning percentage. They don't gain much of a rest advantage either, finishing at minus-two days on the season. The good news: the Packers will travel among the fewest miles of any team in the league at 12,619, and they land six primetime games.
On balance, though, the draw is a favorable one. Their easiest stretch comes at exactly the right time. They close the season at home. And they face back-to-back road games just twice all year. No schedule is perfect, but it's hard to complain about what the Packers got. Follow along as we break down the schedule — the advantages, the disadvantages, and all the quirks along the way.
Heard you guys were asking for this@Ticketmaster pic.twitter.com/bCQvidTui8
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 14, 2026
Week 1: @ Minnesota Vikings
Week 2: @ New York Jets
Week 3: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week 4: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The first four weeks of the season present a mixed bag. On paper, the schedule is favorable — the Packers' first four opponents combined for a .441 winning percentage last season, putting them among the easier early draws in the league. The catch is that the Packers are expected to be without Micah Parsons for that entire stretch, and three of those four games are on the road. Zoom out a little further and it’s even trickier: including the preseason, Green Bay will be away from home for five of their first seven games.
After back-to-back Sunday games, the Packers turn around for a Thursday Night Football matchup against Atlanta. They'll get ten days off before heading to Tampa Bay, though that trip comes with its own baggage. The Packers have lost eight of their last 11 games at Raymond James Stadium, making it one of the toughest trips on the schedule.
If Green Bay can navigate this first quarter of the season with three wins — maybe four — they'll be in a strong position heading into the meat of the schedule.
Week 5: vs. Chicago Bears
Week 6: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week 7: @ Detroit Lions
Week 8: vs. Carolina Panthers
The second quarter of the season could be a challenging stretch — but if everything goes according to plan, it's also when Micah Parsons makes his return. The Packers open this run with back-to-back home games against Chicago and Dallas, which offers some welcome relief travel-wise after all that early road travel, but against two quality opponents. A couple of things worth noting: the Chicago game is the first of two gold package games, and the Dallas matchup is on Sunday Night Football.
Things get trickier in Weeks 7 and 8. The Packers head to Detroit to face a Lions team coming off their bye week — an extra-rested divisional matchup is never a fun draw. There's little time to recover from that one, either, as Green Bay turns right around for a Thursday Night Football game against Carolina. On paper, Carolina might not look intimidating, but the back-to-back divisional games, a well-rested opponent, and a short week make this a stretch that could sneak up on a team.
From toughest to easiest: every team’s strength of schedule 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ft2y0sS29S
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) May 15, 2026
Week 9: @ New England Patriots
Week 10: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 11: BYE
Week 12: @ Los Angeles Rams
Week 13: @ New Orleans Saints
The second half of the season opens with some extra rest after the Thursday night game the week prior, but the Packers waste no time facing a tough test — last season's AFC champions, the New England Patriots. They follow that up with a rematch against Minnesota, the second gold package game of the year and one of only two home noon kickoffs on the schedule, before heading into their bye week.
Unfortunately for the players, it's not quite a traditional bye. Rather than a full two weeks off, the Packers have a Wednesday night game — Thanksgiving Eve — against the Los Angeles Rams to kick off Week 12. It's a west coast trip against a strong opponent on an unconventional night. The silver lining is that the unusual scheduling actually works in Green Bay's favor: with the game falling on a Wednesday, the Packers get 11 days off before their next game. Instead of one true bye week, they'll essentially get two mini-byes. Who knows, maybe this weird quirk will pay dividends down the stretch.
From November 9 through December 5 — a span of 26 days — the Packers play just two games. The tradeoff is a demanding travel slate: a trip out east, a trip out west, and a trip down south in three of those four games, against quality opponents. It'll be a grind, but once they're through it, the schedule starts to open up.
Week 14: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 16: @ Chicago Beras
Week 17: vs. Houston Texans
Week 18: vs. Detroit Lions
Once the Packers get home from New Orleans, they'll be at Lambeau Field for four of their final five games — a welcomed final stretch of games. It opens with a Sunday Night Football showdown against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, one of the marquee matchups of the second half. The following week brings a different kind of intrigue: Jeff Hafley's return to Green Bay, along with all the familiar faces he brought with him to Miami. The Dolphins aren't expected to be a tough out this season, but it'll still be a fun reunion.
The one road trip in this stretch is a quick hop to Chicago on Christmas Day. With the holiday falling on a Friday, both teams will be working off a short week. The noon kickoff means the Packers can still make it home in time for the holiday, which is a small but appreciated detail. After dropping their 2025 game in Chicago, the Packers will have plenty of motivation to make it a Merry Christmas.
The short week in Week 16 comes with a silver lining — the Packers get three extra days of rest heading into their final two games, both at Lambeau. First up is a Monday Night Football date with the Texans, which allows for one more day of recovery. Then comes the Lions rematch to close the regular season, scheduled for either Saturday or Sunday. Either way, it's a short week for a divisional finale that could have serious playoff implications.
Air miles each team will travel this season, via @billsperos: pic.twitter.com/oxd4dja4tD
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 13, 2026