The Packers 2025 Schedule Presents Challenges
By GilMartin
The Green Bay Packers 2025 schedule was officially released by the NFL on Wednesday night. No doubt every NFL team faces easier and more difficult games on paper although a lot can and will change between now and Week 1. Still, Matt LaFleur’s team has some real challenges to face when looking at this year’s schedule.
First off, the team’s bye week is very early. The Packers get a bye in Week 5. The main purpose of the bye is to give players a rest and to give their bodies a chance to recover from the physical punishment that an 18-week season creates for them. With a week off during Week 5, the Packers will have to play 13 consecutive weeks of football to close out the regular season. A team with a later bye week may have a better chance of getting players a little healthier for the final weeks of the season and for the playoffs.
The Pack will enjoy two mini-byes after playing on Thursdays. In Week 2, the Packers host the Washington Commanders on Thursday night. Then, they travel to Cleveland to face the Browns in Week 3. The Browns play a regular Sunday game the week before.
After the Thanksgiving game in Detroit in Week 13, the Pack hosts the Bears in Week 14. Unfortunately, the Packers will have only one extra day’s rest on the Bears who will be facing the Eagles on Black Friday, one day after the Packers-Lions Thanksgiving tilt.
The Packers also finish the season with three of their final four games on the road. The only home game during that stretch is a tough matchup with the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17.
In addition, the Packers won’t be playing against any warm weather or dome teams at Lambeau Field late in the season. Last year, the Packers faced Detroit, Miami and New Orleans in Green Bay during November or December. This year, the closest they come to a warm weather opponent at Lambeau late in the year is the game vs the Vikings.
The Packers will also be facing the Bears twice in three weeks in a very strange quirk of the schedule. Things could get intense under the circumstances, especially if the first meeting is a tough and physical matchup. In between their meetings with the Bears, the Packers travel to Denver to face the Broncos.
The Packers also have three occasions where they play two consecutive road games. Last year, it only happened once. Of course, the fact that the Packers play eight home games this year and nine games on the road also makes this season a bit more challenging.
The stretch drive will also be intense as five of the team’s six divisional matchups come in the final seven games. After opening the season against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field, the Packers don’t play another NFC North opponent until they host the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12.
The Packers will also be playing on Thanksgiving Day for the third consecutive season. That hasn’t happened since Vince Lombardi asked the NFL to rotate the Lions opponent on Thanksgiving after the 1963 matchup.
The Packers traveled to Detroit in 2023 and beat the Lions 29-22. Last season, the Packers faced the Dolphins at Lambeau Field in prime time and beat them 30-17. Now for the second time in three years, the Packers will be in Detroit for the early afternoon Thanksgiving matchup.
The Packers also could face former quarterback Aaron Rodgers in prime time if A-Rod signs with the Steelers. The Packers face Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh on Sunday Night Football in Week 8. It would be a great game for the national stage although it would be even more dramatic if it was in Green Bay.
Overall, the Packers schedule provides the team with plenty of challenges and opportunities. Now the long wait for Week 1 begins.
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Comments (11)
TarynsEyes
May 15, 2025 at 01:10 pm
There is a good point, the Packers will not play against any opponent coming off a bye, so perhaps they'll be as tired as they are.
Dooniebrewers
May 15, 2025 at 01:53 pm
Eagles come off a bye for Monday night in Green Bay.
TarynsEyes
May 15, 2025 at 02:14 pm
You're right, I missed it. Thanks for the correction.
GregC
May 15, 2025 at 01:41 pm
It's more challenging than last year's schedule, but mostly just because of the opponents. The NFC North will face off against the NFC East and AFC North, which will most likely be stiffer competition than the NFC West and AFC South were last year.
Late byes are generally better than early byes, but as nice as a late bye is when it comes around, it is forgotten within a few weeks, as the team goes right back into the late season grind.
Most scheduling challenges are canceled out, or nearly canceled out, by other factors, e.g. more road games at the end means more home games earlier, and if you play back-to-back road games, that probably means you play back-to-back home games at some point. So I don't think any of this is really a big deal.
BuckyBadger
May 15, 2025 at 01:51 pm
One of the reasons the NFC North had 3 teams in the playoffs was because the division as a whole played an easier than average schedule. This year will be a little tougher and I would expect all the teams in the division to run into more bumps in the roads than last year. When a whole division is racking up wins the opponents more times than non are the big factor on why.
Strength of schedule is real but it is also very fluid. KC is a tough opponent but if Mahomes is hurt they aren't nearly as formidable. When you catch a team plays a big factor on how tough your schedule really is. Was the team healthy and coming off a bye? Or did they just play Monday and are banged up with key players not practicing all week or out all together.
Leatherhead
May 15, 2025 at 02:41 pm
Not to be disputatious, but I'm not understanding.
We played the Lions, Eagles, and Vikings twice each. That's 6 out of 18 games, 1/3 of the season, against elite teams. Add in games against playoff teams like the Rams and Texans and half of our schedule is playoff teams. And that equates to an EASIER than Average schedule?
That kind of seems counter-intuitive to me. Let me ponder.
13TimeChamps
May 15, 2025 at 03:44 pm
The Packers played 4 games against the worst division in football. That's basically a quarter of their schedule. Yes, Houston made the playoffs because they won that crappy division. This year they play the AFC North, a MUCH tougher division. Most would probably be happy going 2-2 against them. If they had gone 2-2 against the South last year, their record would have been 9-8 and out of the playoffs. Pretty simple actually.
Bitternotsour
May 15, 2025 at 05:50 pm
please go back historically and create asterisks for teams who won the super bowl and directly benefitted from playing a weaker schedule.
Foolish me, I always thought a teams record represented wins and losses, not strength of schedule. Perhaps you are more of a college football person.
13TimeChamps
May 15, 2025 at 06:28 pm
Lol....well that didn't take long.
TarynsEyes
May 15, 2025 at 05:54 pm
We lost to teams with winning records, we beat teams with losing records. Then, to make oneself feel better, the Packers beat themselves in all the losses and kicked the asses of the other losers.
Except for a few known winning teams, around 7-10 every year, what the other teams are is unknown until the season progresses and ends. Then all can cry about whatever and how derived.
Leatherhead
May 15, 2025 at 02:33 pm
We could easily be 2-2 going into the bye week. A week to rest and make some adjustments, and the next four games coming out of the bye are all winnable...Bengals, Cards, Steelers, and Panthers. Make some hay while the sun shines. The 4 game post-Thanksgiving home stretch is the Bears, twice, and the Ravens and Broncos. IMO, that's when this team will show us who they are. The other stuff is just prelude.
Of course, all this is predicated on people staying healthy and playing well. It doesn't always work out like that.