The question of who do the packers play this week has a painful answer for anyone wearing green and gold right now: nobody.
It’s Divisional Round weekend. The heavy hitters like the Seattle Seahawks and the Chicago Bears are still bruising each other for a spot in the NFC Championship, but the Green Bay Packers’ season officially hit a brick wall last Saturday. If you’re looking for a kickoff time or a channel for the Pack this Sunday, you won’t find one. They were eliminated in a heartbreaker that people in Wisconsin are going to be grumbling about well into the summer.
The Wild Card Heartbreak That Ended the Season
Honestly, it’s still a bit hard to believe how it went down. Last week, the Packers headed into Soldier Field to face their oldest rivals, the Chicago Bears. For three quarters, it looked like Jordan Love was going to skip out of Chicago with another notch on his belt. Green Bay held a 21-3 lead at halftime. They were dominating. Even deep into the fourth quarter, after a 23-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Golden, the Packers sat on a 27-16 lead with less than seven minutes to go.
Then the "Cardiac Bears" happened.
Caleb Williams and the Bears offense staged a comeback for the ages, scoring 15 unanswered points in the final minutes. That 31-27 loss wasn't just a defeat; it was a season-ender. While the Bears move on to play the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday, the Packers are currently conducting exit interviews and wondering how a double-digit lead evaporated so quickly.
Who Do The Packers Play This Week and Who Should You Root For?
Since the answer to who do the packers play this week is "the offseason," many fans are looking for a proxy team to support—or, more likely, a team to root against. The NFC playoff bracket for the Divisional Round looks like this:
- San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks: Saturday, Jan. 17 at 8:00 PM ET on FOX.
- Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears: Sunday, Jan. 18 at 6:30 PM ET on NBC.
Most Packers fans will likely be tuning in to Sunday's game with a specific hope: seeing the Bears get knocked out. After the way Chicago snatched victory from the jaws of defeat last week, there isn't much love lost. The Rams are coming off a tight win against the Panthers and are heading into a freezing Soldier Field, which always makes for "ugly" but entertaining playoff football.
A Look Ahead to the 2026 Opponents
Because the 2025-2026 season is over for Green Bay, the focus has already shifted to the 2026 schedule. We actually already know the home and away opponents for next year based on the NFL's rotation and the Packers' second-place finish in the NFC North.
Basically, if you're already planning your 2026 road trips, here is what the slate looks like:
- Home Games at Lambeau: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, and Houston Texans.
- Away Games: Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, New York Jets, and the Los Angeles Rams.
That home game against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills is already being circled as a "marquee" matchup. Plus, facing C.J. Stroud and the Texans at Lambeau is going to be a massive test for a Green Bay secondary that struggled to close out games this January.
What Went Wrong in the Final Stretch?
It's worth acknowledging that the Packers sort of limped into the postseason. They clinched the No. 7 seed in Week 17, but they finished the regular season on a three-game losing streak, including a lackluster 16-3 loss to the Vikings on January 4th.
The defense, led by Jeff Hafley, showed flashes of brilliance throughout the year but ultimately couldn't find the "kill switch" when it mattered most in Chicago. Jordan Love finished the season with impressive stats, but the inability to move the chains in the four-minute drill during the Wild Card round is something he'll likely be obsessing over in the film room this month.
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Next Steps for the Green Bay Packers
Now that the pads are off, the front office enters its most critical phase. Here is what needs to happen next:
- Evaluate the Secondary: The late-game collapse against Caleb Williams highlighted a need for more consistent depth at cornerback.
- The Kicking Game: Special teams were a rollercoaster all year; expect some competition to be brought in during training camp.
- Draft Strategy: With a mid-round pick, Brian Gutekunst will likely look for defensive line help or a true "plug-and-play" safety to pair with Xavier McKinney.
- Health Check: Getting guys like Jayden Reed and the offensive line fully recovered from the late-season grinds is priority number one.
The 2026 NFL Draft is the next big date on the calendar for fans. Until then, we’re all just spectators watching the rest of the NFC fight for a Super Bowl ring that many felt was within Green Bay's reach just one week ago.