It's been just over a week since the NFL dropped the full schedule for the 2026 season, and the Green Bay Packers' slate still looks a little bizarre, as there isn't a single instance throughout the campaign in which they receive a full 14-day break between games.
The Packers' bye comes in Week 11, but instead of getting a full two weeks off following their Week 10 matchup at Lambeau Field against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, November 15, they're back on the field 10 days later for the league's first-ever Thanksgiving Eve matchup on the road against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Wednesday, November 25.
Sure, it's one of a several mini-byes Green Bay has, but it's still a little odd, and Matt LaFleur agrees. He doesn't seem overly upset about the scenario, but he also doesn't sound completely comfortable with it either.
"Every year, the schedule is the challenge," LaFleur recently told Packers.com. "Certainly, one of the things that I think factors in each and every year is the health of your football team and how you implement deloading weeks to take a little off the players. The one thing that's unique about this year, it's probably the most unique schedule in regards to how many days you have off in between games that we've ever experienced.
"It's a different situation. We’re not coming off a traditional bye, where you have a full week. It's gonna be kind of a mini-bye, and then we have another mini-bye, I would say, right after that game. So it's just one of those things that, with as popular as the NFL has gotten, you just got to get comfortable being uncomfortable."
The Packers get five mini-byes, but also have four short weeks
In total, the Packers end up with five mini-byes during the 2026 season, but they've also got four short weeks to deal with.
Four days after their Week 2 Sunday matchup with the New York Jets, they take on the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football in Week 3 and then get the extended break before battling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Week 4.
Next, four days after a Week 7 Sunday matchup with the Detroit Lions, Green Bay has its second TNF matchup of the year in Week 8, this time versus the Carolina Panthers, and then gets another break before a Week 9 Sunday contest with the New England Patriots.
Then, there's the aforementioned break between the Week 10 game with the Vikings and the Thanksgiving Eve matchup with the Rams in Week 12, which, as LaFleur mentioned, is followed by another mini-bye, as the Packers play on Sunday in Week 13 against the New Orleans Saints.
Short week number three is at least a little longer, as five days after taking on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday in Week 15, they have a Friday matchup on Christmas Day against the Chicago Bears in Week 16, which leads into mini-bye number five, as they then square off against the Houston Texans in Week 17 on Monday Night Football.
And that leads right into short week number four, as they only get a six-day break before their regular-season finale in Week 18 against the Lions.
Yeah, there's a lot to digest with this year's slate.
LaFleur did at least seem to be pretty happy about the fact that the Packers will play four of their final five games in the friendly confines of Lambeau Field, the only exception being that Christmas Day battle with the Bears in the Windy City.
We now just have to sit back and wait to see how this wacky 2026 campaign plays out for the Green & Gold.
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