Looking at the Green Bay Packers’ 2023 opponents Wisconsin News

After back-to-back seasons as the top seed in the NFC, the Green Bay Packers laid an egg, going 8-9 in 2022.

While the official NFL schedule release won’t happen until the spring, the opponents for 2023 are locked in for Green Bay.

The Packers will play the normal two games apiece against their NFC North rivals and they’ll also face the entirety of the AFC West and NFC South.

Based on Green Bay finishing third in its division, it will also face the third-place finishers in the AFC North, NFC West and NFC East.

Let’s take a look at who’s on the schedule for 2023.

Chicago Bears (home & away)

Nobody is set up to have a more busy offseason than Chicago. The Bears own the top pick in the NFL draft but appear to have their quarterback of the future with Justin Fields. They’d be foolish to not entertain calls with teams trying to trade up for a quarterback like Alabama’s Bryce Young. On top of that, the Bears are estimated to have the most cap space in free agency and with plenty of holes on the roster, they could go crazy with spending. For many, the jury is still out on Fields, whose electric play as a running quarterback has been jaw-dropping but the passing game has left a lot to be desired. Some of that is certainly tabbed to a lack of legitimate weapons to go to and Chicago could start to take care of that this spring. They still seem a couple years away from seriously contending in the division. If they hit the jackpot on Fields, though, it could come sooner.

Detroit Lions (home & away)

Detroit ended Green Bay’s season in dramatic fashion in Week 18 at Lambeau Field. The Lions had been eliminated from postseason contention earlier in the afternoon and still came out with plenty of fire to ruin the Packers’ season. The Lions have a wonderful core of skill players on offense but they’ll need to open up the checkbook to keep it intact. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has emerged as a star in just two seasons and rookie wide receiver Jameson Williams should have a full offseason to prepare after missing the start of 2022 recovering from a torn ACL. Running back D’Andre Swift will be back and after that is where it gets tricky. Fellow running back Jamaal Williams was the pulse of the offense in Detroit and a big-time vocal leader. Now, he hits free agency. Williams ran for 1,066 yards and a league-high 17 rushing touchdowns this season. He’s an integral part of the vibe and production of the offense and should be a top priority. Then there’s wideout DJ Chark, who missed a big chunk of the season from Weeks 4-10. He still produced 502 receiving yards and three touchdowns and would be a fine piece to have back. The biggest question for Detroit comes at quarterback. Courtesy of the Matthew Stafford trade to the Los Angeles Rams, the Lions have the No. 6 overall pick and their own pick at No. 18. Quarterback Jared Goff had a brilliant year and seems super comfortable in Detroit’s system. Entering his age 29 season, do the Lions see him as the quarterback of the future or could they swing big in the draft on a quarterback prospect like CJ Stroud or Will Levis? If Goff is back, don’t be surprised if the Lions are the betting favorite to win the division next year.

Kansas City Chiefs (home)

The Chiefs aren’t going anywhere. Top dog in the AFC again in 2022 and with quarterback Patrick Mahomes under contract for the long haul, Kansas City will be a mainstay for years and years. This matchup carries an added layer of intrigue if Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns. The two teams met in 2021 but Rodgers missed the contest due to COVID. Sure, it’d be more appealing if Rodgers was five or six years younger but if he returns and is welcomed back with open arms, this will almost surely be a primetime affair. Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster had a solid season, posting 78 receptions for 933 yards. He’s set to hit free agency and even if the Chiefs don’t bring him back, they’ll find a way to fill the void similar to how they did after trading superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Kansas City will be a premiere game on the schedule for Green Bay and it will be Mahomes’ first trip to the “Frozen Tundra.”

Los Angeles Chargers (home)

Quarterback Justin Herbert will be coming off his first playoff appearance and one that won’t soon be forgotten. Los Angeles blew a 27-0 nothing lead to Jacksonville in the wild-card round and that’s the type of loss that will sting for an entire offseason. Similar to the Chiefs with Mahomes but on a tier lower, the Chargers are set up in a tremendous spot with a star quarterback who should be around for the next decade and perhaps beyond. Los Angeles could stand to add some more weapons at wide receiver which could be tricky given that the duo of Mike Williams and Keenan Allen will have a combined cap hit of $40 million. Despite that chunk of change being forked over, sometimes the best ability is availability and both missed plenty of time in 2022 (Williams six games counting postseason, Allen seven games). Allen isn’t getting any younger entering his age 31 season and getting Herbert more weapons isn’t a bad idea. Regardless of where additions are made, this will be a Chargers team poised to make the playoffs again making it another fun matchup at Lambeau Field. If Rodgers is gone and the Packers turn the keys over to quarterback Jordan Love, the Herbert-Love matchup would feature a pair of quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2020 draft.

After winning the Super Bowl a year ago, this Rams team failed to even sniff a playoff berth in 2022. Injuries played a huge part in that with quarterback Matthew Stafford and superstar wide receiver Cooper Kupp playing in just nine games, while All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald missed six games, more than the combined games he missed in the first eight seasons of his career. Head coach Sean McVay has already announced he’s returning after flirting with the idea of entering the booth as a broadcaster and retiring from coaching. What’s even worse for the Rams coming off this season is they don’t even own their first-round pick. That goes to Detroit via the Stafford trade. If they’re back at full strength next season with the above pieces plus cornerback Jalen Ramsey and linebacker Bobby Wagner, they should compete for a playoff spot at minimum. Including the playoffs, this will be the fourth time the Rams play in Green Bay since 2021.

Minnesota Vikings (home & away)

Change could be coming in a major way to Minnesota’s roster this offseason. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will have a lot of big decisions to make regarding some aging players on the roster still making a big dent in the team’s salary cap. Wide receiver Adam Thielen carries a near $20 million cap hit in 2023 while the Vikings could save $6.4 million by cutting him. For outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith, who disappeared in the second half of the season, it’s a $16.9 million cap hit with $13.6 million in savings if he’s released. Safety Harrison Smith has a $19.1 million cap hit and has been the face of this defense for years, but Minnesota could save $7.3 million if they let him go. The list goes on and on with running back Dalvin Cook and linebacker Eric Kendircks included in that bunch. Here’s the point: Minnesota has aging players on fat contracts that didn’t exactly light things on fire in 2022. The Vikings come off a 13-4 season and have a first-place schedule after what many consider to be a somewhat fraudulent season (especially with a minus-3 point differential). The Vikings set an NFL record by going 11-0 in one-score games (excluding their playoff loss to New York). That will be impossible to repeat. Bringing back quarterback Kirk Cousins for the final year of his contract should be locked in barring something real crazy happening. Regression could be coming although if they do it right in the offseason, Minnesota could still have a playoff caliber roster.

New Orleans Saints (home)

There’s a long list of unrestricted free agents the Saints will have to filter through and it starts with quarterback Andy Dalton, who started 14 games for New Orleans in 2022. Where the Saints will go at quarterback starting in 2023 is a mystery. It’s hard to imagine them signing up for another year of Dalton, and that’s not a knock on the “Red Rifle.” Dalton was a filler at the position when Jameis Winston went down with a back injury in Week 3. He’s not the future of the franchise at age 35, but the problem is the Saints’ first-round pick at No. 10 overall is in possession of Philadelphia. Sean Payton rumors are swirling and it’s possible the Saints could snag a first-round pick if they trade their former head coach. However, it’s unlikely a team would give up a high-end pick for Payton to step in. This is a franchise with a lot of unknowns at the most vital position entering the offseason. It will also be New Orleans’ first trip to Green Bay since 2017, a game it won 26-17.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (home)

The 8-9 record was good enough to win the NFC South for Tampa Bay before they got destroyed by Dallas in the wild-card round. Speaking of questions at quarterback, if Tom Brady returns, does he stay in Tampa Bay? Brady thanked the local media at his press conference following Monday’s loss to the Cowboys which could mean nothing or could’ve been a goodbye. Whether that’s a goodbye to the franchise or to football, who knows. Let the speculation run wild! Most of the Bucs’ key players, like wide receiver Mike Evans, offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs and linebacker Devin White are all under contract for next season but, like the Saints, if you don’t have it right at quarterback how can you expect to succeed in the NFL? This could be another Brady-Rodgers matchup but the odds of that seem slimmer as the days carry on. Might it be Love slinging it against quarterback Kyle Trask? Yikes.

Atlanta has some young and fun pieces on offense including wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts (if it actually gets him involved) and running back Tyler Allgeier. London was a first-round pick in 2022 and Allgeier was scooped up in the fifth round. Pitts was the No. 4 overall pick in 2021. There is promise at the skill position spots now, the Falcons need to get it right at quarterback. Yes, there’s a theme going here. Quarterback Marcus Mariota was bland when given his chances in 2022 and rookie Desmond Ridder didn’t inspire much flare or confidence that he could be the answer moving ahead towards the future. Atlanta holds the No. 8 pick in the draft which likely wouldn’t be high enough to snag a Young or Stroud but could potentially get them a Levis or Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. There are other needs, like finding a legit No. 2 wideout to complement London and they could use some help on the edge of the defensive line as well. Quietly, it does feel like the Falcons are moving in the right direction by hitting on some key draft picks and having plenty of cap space (projected for second most behind the Bears) for this offseason. It’ll be the first Packers-Falcons matchup since 2020 when Green Bay won 30-16 at home.

If it hasn’t already been made apparent, the NFC South was a dumpster fire in 2022. And guess what? Like all the other teams in the division, it’s anyone’s guess as to who the quarterback for Carolina will be in 2023. The Baker Mayfield experiment didn’t work out. Neither did the Sam Darnold show. Do they believe in quarterback Matt Corral, who was selected in the third round of the 2022 draft? The rookie missed the entire season after suffering a Lisfranc injury in the preseason. Given the direction the season went, it could’ve been a prime opportunity to get a look at Corral if not for the season-ending injury. For now he remains a mystery, like the head coach position. The Panthers are in the market for a head coach after dismissing Matt Rhule during the season. First things first, hire a coach and then lay out a blueprint at quarterback. It’ll be the first matchup between the Packers and Panthers since 2020. Green Bay has won the last two meetings 24-16.

Was there a bigger disaster this year in the NFL than Denver? It’s hard to make an argument for anyone else. Head coach Nathaniel Hackett lasted less than one season and quarterback Russell Wilson was a disaster. Wilson started 15 of the 17 games and had a career-low 16 touchdown passes. Eight of those 16 came in the final four weeks when the Broncos were already long gone from contending for a playoff berth. Wilson will be back and the most fascinating thing to track with Denver will be who they tab at head coach. Is Wilson broken beyond repair or was it really just not a right fit with Hackett? Will the head coach that’s hired have an offensive or defensive background? One would imagine that with the contract Denver is spilling over to Wilson, it will be an offensive hire. To really slash open the wound and pour in some salt, Denver would have the No. 5 pick in the draft but that went to Seattle in the Wilson trade. Green Bay hasn’t won in Denver since 2007 when quarterback Brett Favre dropped a dime to wide receiver Greg Jennings on the first play of overtime for a game-winning, 82-yard touchdown.

Dreams of the playoffs with quarterback Derek Carr and former Packers wide receiver Davante Adams were quickly washed away after a 2-7 start in 2022. The former Fresno State teammates were supposed to inject life and optimism into the franchise in what is admittedly a crowded AFC West. Adams did his part, posting 1,516 yards on 100 receptions and a league-high 14 touchdown receptions. Carr however, fizzled out. Carr has already taken to social media, shortly after the regular season ended, to thank Raiders nation for his time with the franchise. If that’s not an indicator that both sides will part ways in the offseason, I don’t know what is. The jury is still out on head coach Josh McDaniels, who went 11-17 in less than two seasons with Denver as the head coach over a decade ago and now 6-11 in the first year with the Raiders. Adams has already stated he intends to stay with Las Vegas. Who is throwing him the pigskin in 2023 is another question. Here’s a stat to chew on: Green Bay has won eight in a row against the Raiders. Its last loss came in 1987, when they were the Los Angeles Raiders. Yes, the Oakland version never defeated the Packers.

Green Bay has New York on the schedule via both teams finishing in third place in its division. However, the Giants aren’t your run of the mill third-place squad. Quarterback Daniel Jones had arguably the best game of his career in the wild card round against Minnesota. Jones torched the Vikings to the tune of 301 passing yards, 78 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Head coach Brian Daboll already has the locker room buying in and it shows. Green Bay just played the Giants this year, in Week 5 in London. There’s a case to be made that this game was the pivot point in the Packers’ season as they were 3-1 when they entered and ended up losing five in a row. Green Bay led that game 17-3 and even 20-10 at halftime before losing 27-22. Including one postseason matchup, it was the first win for New York over the Packers since 2013. This offseason for the Giants should be focused on getting Jones some wide receivers and adding to the cornerback room.

Pittsburgh Steelers (away)

Pittsburgh won its last four games in 2022 and just missed out on the final postseason spot in the AFC. With the win streak to end the season, head coach Mike Tomlin has now made it 16 consecutive seasons as the head coach in Pittsburgh without a losing season. That’s the most in NFL history by a coach to begin his career. The Steelers have their quarterback in Kenny Pickett who will be entering his second year. The defense is always a monster and again should be led by outside linebacker T.J. Watt and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. This will be an entertaining one regardless of who is playing given the history of both franchises. There may not be two more dedicated fan bases than that of the Packers and Steelers and both franchises have rich histories. Green Bay will be looking for its first win in Pittsburgh since … 1970! Packers kick returner Larry Krause took a kick back 100 yards for a touchdown to put Green Bay up 6-0 early in that affair. Then, in the fourth quarter, legendary quarterback Bart Starr connected with tight end John Hilton on a 65-yard touchdown to put the Packers up 20-12. That would end up being the final score. Starr finished with 235 yards and two touchdowns but also had two interceptions. Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw completed just three passes on 20 attempts and had a miserable afternoon throwing four interceptions. So, yeah. Green Bay hasn’t won in Pittsburgh in a long time.