Who are the Green Bay Packers' 2026 opponents?

Not every opponent on the 2026 NFL schedule has been settled for the Green Bay Packers, but the vast majority of the picture has already come into focus.

The NFC North will square off with the NFC South and AFC East next year, and since the Packers are locked into second place, they'll see the second-place finisher in the other two NFC divisions as well as the AFC South.

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Bear in mind that the Packers are likely to play an international game in 2026. NFC teams get nine home games and eight road games in 2026, meaning the "extra" home game can be converted into an international game by the NFL.

Games are confirmed on the docket next year in Munich, Germany; Melbourne, Australia; Rio De Janeiro, Brazil; Mexico City, Mexico; and London, England (twice), but there will likely be more international games announced.

The Los Angeles Rams are already the designated home team for the Melbourne game, and that's not a team on Green Bay's schedule, but the others are fair game. The Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders are confirmed to be a home team for an international game (location TBA), but Atlanta plays the Packers at Lambeau Field, so that game won't feature Green Bay, and Washington isn't on the schedule.

Here's who's on the schedule in 2026:

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Obviously, the other NFC North teams, home and away

As with every season, the Packers will meet the other three NFC North teams both at home and on the road.

The Chicago Bears (11-5 heading into the finale) are coming off a hugely successful division-title season under first-year coach Ben Johnson and will head into the year with high expectations. The Minnesota Vikings (8-8) will need to settle their quarterback situation. Is J.J. McCarthy still the guy and, if not, could current Packers backup Malik Willis be among the candidates to replace him? The Detroit Lions (8-8) will still have plenty of talent but are reeling after a disappointing fall from atop the division in 2025.

Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1) at home

The two teams tied in 2025, and both finished in second place in their respective division, so they'll meet again at Lambeau Field next year.

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The NFC North played all NFC East teams in 2025; next year, it'll just be one team corresponding to place-finish within the division.

Will Micah Parsons be healthy in time to see his old teammates again, this time in Green Bay?

Buffalo Bills (11-5) at home

The Packers will play all four teams in the AFC East, including the squad led by perennial MVP candidate Josh Allen.

Carolina Panthers (8-8) at home

Carolina handed the Packers a dispiriting loss at Lambeau in 2025, and they'll be back next season since the North will face all the NFC South teams.

That seems appetizing on paper; none of the four teams in the South distinguished themselves this year. Carolina is at least on an upswing and heads into the final week of the season with a chance to win the South and host a playoff game.

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Atlanta Falcons (7-9) at home

The Falcons can't win the South but have found a late-season footing under veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, with a run of three wins that includes an upset over the Rams.

The Falcons' starting quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., had surgery to repair his torn ACL in November, so he may not be ready, depending on the game's date.

Miami Dolphins (7-9) at home

The other AFC South team coming to Lambeau Field next year played last in Green Bay on Thanksgiving in 2024. The Packers have won the last four meetings and six of seven between the two franchises, with the only setback since 2000 ironically coming in the Super Bowl 2010 season, a 23-20 loss in overtime.

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AFC South second-place finisher – quite likely Houston Texans (11-5) at home

The Packers will face the second-place finisher in the AFC South, and right now that sure looks like the Houston Texans. That can change in the finale, if Jacksonville (12-4) loses to Tennessee (3-13) in what would amount to a stunning upset. In that case, the Texans could win against the Indianapolis Colts and leapfrog the Jaguars for the South title, sending the Jaguars to Lambeau next year, instead.

More likely than not, it will be Houston that comes to Lambeau Field, just as it did in 2024 for a game that came down to a field goal by Brandon McManus as time expired. The franchises have met six times in their history, and Green Bay has won five.

New England Patriots (13-3) on road

The best team on the schedule next year (at least, by record) will likely be New England, the reigning AFC East champion with rising star Drake Maye under center.

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Again, the North teams must face all four AFC East squads next year.

NFC West second-place finisher on the road – either San Francisco (12-4) or Seattle (13-3)

The Seahawks and 49ers meet in the Week 18 finale to determine the NFC West champion. The Packers will play the loser of those two teams and do so on the road.

That could mean another trip to San Francisco, the site of the Packers' playoff exit after the 2023 season, though Green Bay won a rematch last season. Or Seattle, which has its own Packers-themed horror stories to tell, though the Packers have won five of the last six meetings with Seattle.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) on the road

The Bucs started the 2025 season at 6-2, looking like one of the top teams in the NFC, then lost a staggering seven of their next eight games. They head into the final week of 2025 still with a chance to win the NFC South, but that's more about the weakness of the division than what the Bucs have been able to do.

A trip to Florida in September can be brutal, but one in December can be kind.

New Orleans Saints (6-10) on the road

The Saints have gone in the opposite direction from the Bucs, starting 2-10 but then winning four straight, including games against playoff hopefuls Tampa Bay and Carolina.

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Perhaps they found something in 26-year-old rookie quarterback Tyler Shough.

New York Jets (3-13) on the road

The Jets had a disastrous first season under first-year coach Aaron Glenn, with their three victories against non-playoff teams by a combined 11 points and losses the rest of the way.

The Jets need a quarterback (Malik Willis?) and fixes all the way around, with an offense that scores the 28th most points per game (out of 32) and a defense that ranks 30th.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Who will the Green Bay Packers face on the 2026 schedule?