Per sources from Matt Schneidman of The Athletic the Packers’ schedule is now available for viewing.
They’ll open and close with Chicago. There will be 15 more games between those.
A full breakdown of the schedule is below.
Packers’ full 2023 schedule (per source):
– Five prime time games even without Rodgers
– Love’s first game as full-time starter will be in Chicago
– Thanksgiving in Detroit
– Davante Adams vs. Packers for first time on MNF Week 5
– Super Bowl champs at Lambeau on SNF Week 13 pic.twitter.com/lBvES4Wlmf
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) May 11, 2023
Here are four thoughts on the way the Packers’ schedule broke.
1. I (still) own you? – Everything starts out with a bang for the Packers. They open in Chicago against their oldest opponent. It’s not a rivalry at this time, because the Bears haven’t won against Green Bay since 2018. They’ll surely feel like they have a good opportunity to change that now that Aaron Rodgers is playing out east.
Two years ago when the Packers invaded Soldier Field, Rodgers famously proclaimed to the crowd that he owned them. He has not shied away from those comments since they were made during the game.
The question now is, did Rodgers own them, or do the Packers? The Bears will tell you that all of that is in the past and it’s time to start something new. The Packers will be hoping to continue their dominance over their division rival.
The game itself has plenty of intrigue. The Bears were one of the busiest teams in the NFL this offseason. They added DJ Moore and a slew of new defenders. They put new offensive linemen around their quarterback Justin Fields.
The Bears hope that Fields is their future. This is the first year he’s had a real chance to prove if he can sink or swim.
On the other side – just Jordan Love trying to replace a legend. In a rivalry that he dominated for essentially the entirety of his time as the team’s starting quarterback.
There will be no shortage of takes in the midwest after this game ends.
2. Thanksgiving Day – It’s been awhile since the Packers have played on Thanksgiving. It’s been even longer since they’ve played against Detroit. The last time they were in Detroit for Thanksgiving Day, Aaron Rodgers had a broken collarbone and the Packers lost 40-10.
Their most recent tilt on Thanksgiving was a 17-13 loss to the Chicago Bears on the night they retired Brett Favre’s jersey.
They haven’t won on Thanksgiving Day since the then-undefeated 2011 Packers beat the Lions 27-15 in the famous “Suh Stomp” game. That of course was when Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh stomped on Packers’ offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith. He became a forever villain for Packer fans that day.
The drought for appearances ends this season. The Packers will travel to Detroit for a Thanksgiving Day game.
The Lions enter the season as division favorites, while the Packers are the betting favorite to finish last in the NFC North. By Thanksgiving, we should have a pretty good idea of how accurate those projections are.
3. Davante’s revenge – Davante Adams, arguably the greatest receiver in team history since Don Hutson will face his former team for the first time in early October. The game will be on Monday Night Football.
It won’t be against Aaron Rodgers. There’s plenty of intrigue there.
Adams cited one of the reasons he wanted to move on from Green Bay was he thought there would be more quarterback stability in Las Vegas. While that turned out to be inaccurate, it made sense at the time.
This game also pits two of the game’s elite against each other. It was a matchup the team often saw in practice. It’s also one that Jaire Alexander credits for his development early in his career. Jaire Alexander will face off against Adams for the first time in a different uniform.
If the Packers allow Alexander to follow Adams, that matchup is must-see TV.
4. Prime Time Pack – This was a point of discussion surrounding the Packers as Rodgers exited Green Bay. Would the team get as many prime-time opportunities?
Well, it appears the NFL recognizes the Packers as a team as a national brand with a national fanbase. They have five games in primetime.
They’ll play two road games on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. They have two home games at Lambeau Field that are in primetime.
Their final primetime game of the season will be a Sunday night tilt against the Minnesota Vikings on New Year’s Eve.
The NFL’s smallest market continues to pack one of the biggest punches.