The Green Bay Packers get to open the 2025 season at home, a first for Matt LaFleur, who’s in his seventh year leading the team. Their punishment for that bit of joyfulness is to close the season against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Although, surprisingly enough, the Packers are 3-3 in Minneapolis under LaFleur.
In between those NFC North games, the Packers’ schedule includes the usual mix of home and away games that are sure to please some and vex others. For example, after getting all three NFC North home games in 2024, Gold package ticket holders are faced with a Thursday night game Sept. 11 against the Washington Commanders, and a Monday night game Nov. 10 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Many Gold package ticket holders come from the southern half of the state and weeknight games are a challenge for them, but at least they have quality opponents.
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The Packers are tied for the fifth-toughest strength of schedule, based on their opponents’ 55.7% success rate in 2024, but that’s before the timing and location of those games, which can add their own element to the level of difficulty.
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) runs the ball against the Detroit Lions on Nov. 3, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The Lions won 24-14 to sweep the season series. The Packers will open the 2025 season against the reigning NFC North champions.
Packers have four primetime games, but could play more
The Packers have four certain primetime games, including twice on “Sunday Night Football,” and are under consideration for at least one more. The schedule is fairly well balanced in terms of home and away games through Week 12, but the Packers end the season with four of six games on the road and five of seven games against division opponents, including the possibly resurgent Chicago Bears twice in three weeks.
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The Packers have six and possibly eight noon games, and four and possibly seven late afternoon games. Only one of the noon games is in the first half of the season.
Schedule will allow fans to refill their wallets
Packers fans, and the businesses that benefit from games at Lambeau Field, are not opposed to home games being spread out. Games are not cheap, so fans have said they like an opportunity to save up for the next one instead of being hit two weeks in a row. There are only two occasions this season when there are back-to-back games at Lambeau, and in both instances the first game is for Green package ticket holders and the second for Gold package holders. Unless a fan has both packages, and some do, everybody gets some breathing room.
By the way, the estimated economic impact of a Packers home game is about $20 million, up from $15 million a couple years ago, thanks mostly to inflation.
Packers fans have their say about the schedule
Twice this season, the Packers will play two teams within four days. The first will be Weeks 1 and 2, when they play the Detroit Lions and the Washington Commanders, but at least they’re at Lambeau Field. The second will be Weeks 12 and 13, when they play the Vikings at home and the Lions in Detroit.
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On the plus side, they will have nine days off before they have to go on the road to Cleveland and Dallas in Weeks 3 and 4. Then they get an early bye after the Dallas game.
Packers fan Steve Schumer of Gillette, New Jersey, said he’s OK with the Packers opening the season with two games at home. “We will know right away how we measure up in the division and the NFC,” he said.
While Schumer likes playing the Eagles, who beat the Packers twice last season, at home on “Monday Night Football,” he’s less thrilled about going to Detroit at Thanksgiving or ending the season in Minnesota. He’s also not a fan of the early bye week.
Nathan Plitzuweit of Green Bay said he doesn’t mind the early bye week, “but I am a little nervous about the Vikings and Lions in a span of five days.”
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“The mini-break after that Thanksgiving game will be nice to prepare for the two Bears games over a span of 13 days,” Plitzuweit said. “Then, wish we weren’t getting the bulldozer Derrick Henry (and the Baltimore Ravens) in what could be a cold-weather game in December. Would have preferred more of a passing team. Oh well. Still going 12-5 though.”
Jim Henaman of Knowlton was still studying the nuances of the schedule right after it was released May 14, but remains an optimistic Packers fan. “Overall, I don’t know why they couldn’t win 10,” he said.
As tough as the Packers schedule is, Schumer said he believes in this team, if it stays healthy.
“As tough as this schedule looks to us, it should look tough to the teams and the fans of the teams that have to play us,” he said.
Packers and Thanksgiving are like turkey and dressing
The Packers will play their third consecutive Thanksgiving Day game and their 23rd against the Lions. They upset the Lions two years ago and beat Miami at Lambeau Field last season. This is the first time they’ve played three consecutive Thanksgiving games since their long run of turkey day games between 1951-63.
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The Lions are 12-9-1 against the Packers on Thanksgiving.
One home game during deer season
The Packers play the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field on Nov. 23, the day after deer season begins. Four days later, on Thanksgiving, the Packers play in Detroit. Deer hunting season ends three days later, on Nov. 30.
That’s better than last year, when the Packers had two games at Lambeau Field during deer season, pulling fans away from their deer camps.
Preseason
Aug. 9, 7 p.m., New York Jets, at Lambeau Field
Aug. 16, noon, Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium
Aug. 23, 3 p.m., Seattle Seahawks at Lambeau Field
Regular season
Week 1, 3:25 p.m., Sept. 7, Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field, CBS
Week 2, 7:15 p.m., Sept. 11, Washington Commanders at Lambeau Field, “Thursday Night Football,” Prime Video (Gold package game)
Week 3, noon, Sept. 21, Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field, Fox
Week 4, 7:20 p.m., Sept. 28, Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, “Sunday Night Football,” NBC
Week 6, Oct. 12, 3:25 p.m., Cincinnati Bengals at Lambeau Field, CBS
Week 7, Oct. 19, 3:25 p.m., Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium, Fox
Week 8, Oct. 26, 7:20 p.m., Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium, “Sunday Night Football,” NBC
Week 9, Nov. 2, noon, Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field, Fox
Week 10, 7:15 p.m. Nov. 10, Philadelphia Eagles at Lambeau Field, “Monday Night Football,” ESPN/ABC (Gold package game)
Week 11, noon, Nov. 16, New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, Fox
Week 12, noon, Nov. 23, Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field, Fox
Week 13: noon, Nov. 27, Detroit Lions at Ford Field, Fox (Thanksgiving Day)
Week 14, noon, Dec. 7, Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field, Fox
Week 15, 3:25 p.m., Dec. 14, Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High, CBS
Week 16, 3:30 or 7 p.m., Dec. 20, Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, Fox
Week 17, TBD, Dec. 27 or Dec. 28, Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field, TBD
Week 18, TBD, Jan. 3 or Jan. 4, Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium, TBD
Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: As always, Packers schedule has something for everyone to love or hate