Ranking Every Game on Packers’ 2026 Schedule

The Falcons are in the first year of a new regime with Kevin Stefanski taking over for Raheem Morris. The Falcons have some interest surrounding them because they do have a lot of weapons at key positions.

Bijan Robinson is an elite running back, and Drake London and Kyle Pitts help form one of the top one-two punches in terms of pass catchers around the NFL.

The biggest question is at quarterback, where Michael Penix is entering a big season to try and establish himself as the quarterback of the future in Atlanta. The Falcons added Tua Tagovailoa as a reclamation project this offseason, which could be a situation worth monitoring depending on where this game falls on the schedule.

No. 15: at Saints

The matchup against the Saints could get a bump if it lands in Paris. The Packers have not played well on foreign soil, losing to the New York Giants in London in October 2022 and falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener of the 2024 season in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

The Saints were a surprise last season in that they were expected to be one of the worst teams in football but finished a respectable 6-11. The Saints are still digging out of salary cap constraints that came as a result of pushing their chips to the center of the table at the end of the Drew Brees era. They do have second-year quarterback Tyler Shough, who will be looking to build on a solid rookie season.

While the Saints are still in rebuilding mode, they’re likely to be a tough opponent, regardless of the location. New Orleans has one of the top homefield advantages in football and, obviously, any game that is played internationally has a different calculus to it.

Still, a matchup against a team who finished in last place a season ago is not the juiciest game, regardless of where it is played.

No. 14: home vs. Panthers

Carolina will return to Green Bay after pulling off a big upset last season. The Panthers wound up winning the NFC South last year and gave the Los Angeles Rams all they could handle in the first round of the postseason. They were a scrappy team that excelled when trying to punch above their weight class.

They’re looking to take things one step further this year and establish themselves as true contenders. One bit of good news for the Packers: Rico Dowdle, who ran all over last year, signed with the Steelers in free agency.

No. 13: at Buccaneers

An old-school “Battle of the Bays” from the days of the NFC Central is on the schedule.

Baker Mayfield leads a high-flying offense that should give the Packers secondary a good challenge with Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin in the fold.

The Packers have struggled in Tampa, but did win a 14-12 slugfest in what was the last meeting between Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady in September 2022.

The last time these teams met was in December 2023, when Mayfield tore the Packers apart for a resounding 34-20 victory.

Expect points in this matchup.

No. 12: at Patriots

Drake Maye and the New England Patriots reached the Super Bowl last season before losing soundly to the Seattle Seahawks. The Patriots are trying to take the next step and will represent a good test for the Packers as a team who is well-coached and able to do the little things.

The intrigue in this matchup comes on the sideline, as Mike Vrabel and Matt LaFleur used to work together in Tennessee. LaFleur was Vrabel’s offensive coordinator before getting the head coaching job in Green Bay in January 2019.

The Packers will need their coach to be at his best because Vrabel is one of the top coaches in football. His team will be ready, and Foxborough is a notoriously tough place to play.

No. 11: home vs. Texans

The Packers fancy themselves as an elite offense that can beat you by running the ball or throwing it over the defense’s head. Jordan Love is one of the top quarterbacks in football, and he has a bevy of receivers that the Packers are high on.

The biggest question on offense for the Packers is their offensive line. There may be no bigger test this season than having to face the ferocious front of the Houston Texans, led by Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. The Texans had 47 sacks last season, with 27 coming from their dynamic duo.

Jordan Morgan and Zach Tom will need to have eaten their Wheaties.

The last time these teams met was 2024, when Brandon McManus won the game on a walk-off field goal in his Packers debut.

No. 10: home vs. Vikings

Our lowest-ranked division game is a home date against the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers demolished Minnesota at Lambeau Field last season as Micah Parsons and Green Bay’s defense suffocated J.J. McCarthy, holding the Vikings to just two field goals.

Minnesota will presumably have a new quarterback with Kyler Murray signing this offseason. That presents a different challenge to Green Bay’s defense with Murray throwing to Justin Jefferson as opposed to McCarthy and Max Brosmer.

No. 9: home vs. Dolphins

It’s a Lambeau Field matchup against Green Bay South, with Jeff Hafley and Malik Willis facing off against their former team.

Can the student surpass the teacher at both head coach and quarterback?

Miami is in rebuilding mode with Hafley. If he had it his way, the Packers and Dolphins would face each other in the first week of the season for one simple reason.

“One of my favorite guys might not be ready to play by then,” Hafley said during the league's annual meeting in Phoenix.

That guy, of course, is Parsons, who could miss the start of the season while rehabbing from a torn ACL.

Whether Parsons plays or not, this game is about the two quarterbacks, and especially Willis, who will undoubtedly be playing with a lot of emotion as he resurrected his career in Green Bay.

No. 8: at Lions

Anytime the Packers and Lions play in Detroit, the game has a chance to be thrown on Thanksgiving Day.

The Packers would be just fine with that, as they are 2-0 against the Lions on Thanksgiving with Jordan Love under center. That includes a 31-24 thriller last year when Love tossed four scoring strikes to lead his team for what was a statement win en route to sweeping the Lions.

This year, the Lions are looking to reclaim their status as the top dogs in the NFC North, having won back-to-back division titles in 2023 and 2024.

No. 7: at Vikings

U.S. Bank Stadium was not kind to the Packers last year, as they played a glorified preseason game in the season finale. They could have been shut out had LaFleur not decided to kick a meaningless short field goal as time expired.

Assuming this year’s iteration of Packers-Vikings will matter more, Green Bay’s offense will face a big test against the Minnesota defense coordinated by Brian Flores. That’s true regardless of where the game is played, but it rings more true when the Packers are surrounded by noise reverberating off the walls of the stadium.

This will be a big game for Love and Sean Rhyan to remain on the same page with Flores’ complex blitz schemes.

No. 6: home vs. Lions

When the Packers and Lions faced off to begin the season a year ago, the Packers made a statement by beating the Lions to a pulp for four quarters. Starting with pregame introductions, with Parsons the last on the field, there was a noticeable buzz in the crowd throughout most of the game.

The Lions’ only touchdown came after Green Bay had built a 27-6 lead late in the fourth quarter. They were dominant on defense and good enough on offense. Green Bay sweeping Detroit last season went a long way toward them making the playoffs over the Lions as the NFC’s seventh seed.

Division games always matter more, but this one feels like it could go a long way into deciding who has the inside track to a spot in the postseason.

No. 5: home vs. Bears

The Packers and Bears played three times last season, and all three resulted in thrilling finishes.

The first came on Dec. 7 at Lambeau Field. The Packers won 28-21, thanks to a big day from Christian Watson and a knockout punch from Keisean Nixon, who made the game-saving interception in front of Cole Kmet as the Bears were attempting a last-minute comeback. The Packers improved to 9-3-1 and looked like they were on track to make a legitimate run toward the Super Bowl.

However, an avalanche of injuries led to a five-game losing streak that culminated in a playoff loss in the first round against the Bears.

That win over Chicago at Lambeau Field remains the last game the Packers have won.

No. 4: home vs. Cowboys

Parsons Bowl I had a thrilling conclusion last season with a 40-40 tie as Dak Prescott and Love matched each other blow-for-blow at AT&T Stadium.

This year, the Cowboys will play at Lambeau for the first time since November 2022. Watson scored three touchdowns and Rodgers led a game-winning drive in overtime.

With Parsons likely sidelined for at least the first few weeks of the season, this game is likely to be scheduled later in the year, which could make for significant playoff implications.

No. 3: home vs. Bills

If you’re going to win a Super Bowl, you’re going to need to beat great quarterbacks. The Buffalo Bills certainly have one of those. Josh Allen has not played at Lambeau Field since he was a rookie in 2018. The Packers shut out the Bills, but Allen’s career has taken off.

Like Green Bay, Buffalo has been a team stuck and unable to break the barrier above them to get into the Super Bowl. If these teams can figure out how to stop falling short in the playoffs, this matchup could be a Super Bowl preview.

No. 2: at Rams

If the Seattle Seahawks are not the best team in the NFC coming into the season, it’s likely the Los Angeles Rams.

The Rams represent what is likely to be the stiffest test on Green Bay’s schedule. They boast two top-flight receivers in Puka Nacua and old friend Davante Adams. Their defense is talented, led by star edge rusher Jared Verse. They also boast the reigning league MVP under center in old nemesis Matthew Stafford.

Stafford against Love could provide plenty of opportunity for points to light up the scoreboard at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Furthermore, this matchup will give the Packers a chance to see how they stack up against the league’s elite teams.

One other note: Sean McVay is 0-5 against LaFleur.

No. 1: at Bears

The easiest choice of this list was a return to the scene of the crime.

When the Packers blew a 21-3 lead in Chicago in the wild-card round, the mood on the visitor’s side at Soldier Field felt like a funeral. LaFleur would not speak about his job status, but it certainly felt like he believed he was in jeopardy after a second collapse in four weeks against his team’s most-hated rival.

The Packers lost at Chicago in late December by blowing a 10-point lead in the final 2 minutes, thanks to a botched onside kick. The comeback was capped off by a touchdown pass from Caleb Williams to D.J. Moore to allow the Bears to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

That night’s collapse helped the Bears win the NFC North. Three weeks later, they did it again, as the Packers blew a 21-6 lead entering the fourth quarter by giving up 25 points in the final period. They rubbed salt in the wound from there. Ben Johnson was on camera shouting expletives toward the Packers. Williams was using a cheese grater to shred cheese on the television broadcast.

The bad blood has reignited the rivalry in a way that has not existed since Brett Favre stepped under center for Green Bay. For the first time essentially since 1992, it’s not obvious the Packers have the upper hand.

There’s legitimate disdain between the two sides, and that only makes a rivalry better. Whether Green Bay likes it or not, the NFC North runs through Chicago as the reigning division champion. The first step to winning the division in 2026 comes with beating a team that has mocked them incessantly since knocking them off twice In the midst of Green Bay’s season-ending, five-game losing streak.