3 ways the NFL screwed the Packers with 2023 schedule

3 ways NFL screwed Packers with 2023 schedule: Early bye week

Not only do the Packers have to start the season with back-to-back road games and play two divisional matchups on Thursdays, but they also have an early bye week.

The bye is a great opportunity for players to get some much-needed time off. Injured players have time to recover. Coaches can self-scout and make plans for the rest of the season.

The Packers get theirs out of the way early. There's a 22-day stretch between September 29 and October 21 where Green Bay will play only one game.

After the bye, the Packers have to play 12 weeks in a row.

Last season, the Packers' bye week was saved until way too late in the year. This season, it comes too early. The ideal timing is somewhere in the middle of the regular season. It gives the team a break when they probably need it more, but also doesn't leave them with a huge run of games without a week off.

By the time the Packers get to their Week 13 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, they will have played six consecutive weeks after their bye, with another six to come with no break.

Yet again, the bye comes at a bad time for the Packers.