The Green Bay Packers' 2026 schedule is rather challenging, especially without the benefit of a proper, full bye week. Nevertheless, the difficulty of the slate, combined with its more favorable conclusion, makes Matt LaFleur a prime Coach of the Year candidate.
Think about it: If Green Bay can ascend to the top of the NFC North, with the Detroit Lions having the easiest schedule in the league, and conquer most of the non-division foes, LaFleur could be a virtual shoo-in.
LaFleur takes a lot of heat for the Packers' playoff shortcomings, namely last year's collapse to the Bears. If only there was a logical explanation like, say, a recently-cut kicker's failures, and dreadful defensive breakdowns, which have nothing to do with the offensive unit LaFleur dials the plays up for.
Anyway, let's dive deeper into how the NFL schedule makers specifically set LaFleur up for a run at Coach of the Year in 2026.
Matt LaFleur gets the Packers schedule break he needed to finish 2026 Coach of the Year campaign strong
What stands out most from the brand-new Packers schedule is the fact that they wrap up the regular season with four of their last five games at home. The matchups go as follows:
- Week 14: vs. Buffalo Bills (Sunday Night Football) — Dec. 13
- Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins — Dec. 20
- Week 16: at Chicago Bears (Christmas Day) — Dec. 25
- Week 17: vs. Houston Texans (Monday Night Football) — Jan. 4
- Week 18: vs. Detroit Lions — Date TBD
Buffalo's big-name transactions this offseason involved wide receiver DJ Moore and edge defender Bradley Chubb. Those moves might've been a little more formidable, say, a few years ago. Not so much now! Instead, Josh Allen is once again tasked with carrying that franchise and roster.
Then, oh goodness, speaking of Chubb, the Dolphins released him and moved off multiple other veterans to blow up their team and effectively tank for 2026. Even if the Packers suffer a letdown against many of their old allies (Malik Willis, Jeff Hafley, Jon-Eric Sullivan, etc.), they're probably not losing that one at Lambeau Field.
Playing against the Bears on Christmas Day in the Windy City doesn't carry a lot of pressure with it, either. All the pressure is on Chicago, Ben Johnson, and Caleb Williams to back up a, let's face it, fluky 2025 season where they pulled out all these last-second victories.
There's either a big leap forward coming for Williams, or a harsh regression to the mean for the Bears as a whole. Not really much in-between.
The Houston Texans might have the best defense in the NFL overall. They won't be an easy out for LaFleur, even in the friendly confines of Titletown. That said, are we sure C.J. Stroud is That Dude?
Speaking of quarterbacks under serious pressure to deliver, Stroud is playing for his next contract and his bigger-picture reputation. He threw four INTs in Houston's playoff loss to New England in his last start. He committed five fumbles in one game on Wild Card Weekend. How's he about to respond? What if the season goes south for the Texans due to Stroud's poor form?
Then, oh yes, the grand finale against the Lions that could decide the NFC North. Detroit QB Jared Goff notoriously struggles in cold weather. Micah Parsons will have his sea legs well under him by this point harass Goff and knock him off his spot in the pocket.
This Week 18 clash feels like a true coin flip. And again, who has more at stake? Who's made it deeper in the playoffs in recent years and has more franchise scar tissue and more morale to lose? It's unquestionably the Detroit Lions.
So yeah, Matt LaFleur has the chance to do something really special here. Many of these games are standalone, high-visibility showcases. NFL Honors voters will be locked in to see what goes down.
As long as the Packers are, say, 8-4 or 9-3 entering the closing stretch, and pull off a 4-1 finish while battling four probable playoff contenders in that span, LaFleur should be firmly in that Coach of the Year mix.
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