Packers schedule release reveals major Micah Parsons subplot and unusual calendar setup for 2026 season
Green Bay starts the season with two road games, but will play four of its final five games at Lambeau Field.
The NFL finally announced the full 2026 regular season schedule, and now we have a clear picture of when and where the Green Bay Packers will play each season through early January. There are a lot of interesting factors to dive into, but two of them are particularly relevant: The Micah Parsons watch and the order of road and home games.
The NFL is waiting on Micah Parsons
The league did the Packers (and itself) a favor by putting in some less impactful games, so to speak, while Micah Parsons recovers from an ACL injury. The edge defender is expected to start the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, which means he would miss the first four games. Those games will be against the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Sure, there is a divisional game and two other conference ones, but the NFL couldn’t have been much more complacent with the situation. The most important games of the season will certainly come later on, with Parsons and tight end Tucker Kraft fully back.
Snowy Lambeau
This year, the Packers play nine games at Lambeau Field due to the NFC/AFC rotation with the 17-game schedule. Still, the first nine games of the season include five road games. On the other hand, that means five of the last eight games, including four of the last five, are going to be in Green Bay.
It’s actually a wild sequence. From Week 14 on, the only road game is against the Chicago Bears on Christmas. That rivalry game is sandwiched between four home games against the Bills, Dolphins; then Texans and Lions. The Packers and their fans should be ready for some cold.
So many non-Sunday games
If you love Sunday football, this Packers season will certainly feel a little bit underwhelming for you — Green Bay will only have 12 Sunday games. The team is set to play twice on Thursdays (Weeks 3 and 8), with more games on Wednesday (Week 12), Friday (Week 16), and Monday (Week 17).
Netflix came to the party
The big reason for those calendar quirks is that Netflix has bought some extra NFL games this year, and the Packers are a huge part of the company’s plans. The Thanksgiving Eve game against the Los Angeles Rams and the Christmas game versus the Chicago Bears will both be broadcasted by Netflix. It’s obvious how much the NFL wants to expand its partnerships, and getting a big, national brand like the Packers involved in some of those games is meaningful — especially considering how many Packers fans there are outside of the United States.
League found a way to isolate more Packers games
Usually, the NFL limits the number of primetime games per team to six. However, the league found a way to create more exposure for the Packers. Technically, the Christmas game against the Bears doesn’t count as a primetime game, even though it’s a standalone one. It starts at noon (CT). So, the Packers will theoretically have six primetime matchups this year, including two games on “Sunday Night Football,” but the national attention will be over Green Bay seven times.
Full 2026 Packers’ schedule
- Week 1, Sept. 13, 3:25 p.m. (CT): Packers at Minnesota Vikings (CBS)
- Week 2, Sept. 20, 12 p.m. (CT): Packers at New York Jets (FOX)
- Week 3, Sept. 24, 7:15 p.m (CT): Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons (TNF/Amazon)
- Week 4, Oct. 4, 12 p.m. (CT): Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (FOX)
- Week 5, Oct. 11, 3:25 p.m. (CT): Packers vs. Chicago Bears (FOX)
- Week 6, Oct. 18, 7:20 p.m. (CT): Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys (SNF/NBC)
- Week 7, Oct. 25, 3:25 p.m. (CT): Packers at Detroit Lions (FOX)
- Week 8, Oct. 29, 7:15 p.m (CT): Packers vs. Carolina Panthers (TNF/Amazon)
- Week 9, Nov. 8, 3:25 p.m. (CT): Packers at New England Patriots (FOX)
- Week 10, Nov. 15, 12 p.m. (CT): Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings (FOX)
- Week 11: BYE
- Week 12, Nov. 25, 7 p.m. (CT): Packers at Los Angeles Rams (Thanksgiving Eve/Netflix)
- Week 13, Dec. 6, 12 p.m. (CT): Packers at New Orleans Saints (FOX)
- Week 14, Dec. 13, 7:20 p.m. (CT): Packers vs. Buffalo Bills (SNF/NBC)
- Week 15, Dec. 20, 12 p.m. (CT): Packers vs. Miami Dolphins (FOX)
- Week 16, Dec. 25, 12 p.m. (CT): Packers at Chicago Bears (Christmas/Netflix)
- Week 17, Jan. 4, 7:15 p.m. (CT): Packers vs. Houston Texans (MNF/ESPN)
- Week 18, Jan. 9/10: Packers vs. Detroit Lions (TBD)