Matt LaFleur knows Week 1 comes with plenty of unknowns, but the Packers coach sounds prepared for the whole thing when Green Bay opens the season against the Minnesota Vikings.
That matchup lands right at the center of the Packers’ push to move on from last year’s disappointment. Green Bay finished 2025 on a five-game skid and then dropped its wild-card playoff game to the rival Chicago Bears. Now the reset begins immediately, with a divisional test against Minnesota setting the tone.
The Vikings will not look the same as they did a season ago, either. Veteran quarterback Kyler Murray is in place for them now, adding another wrinkle to a game both teams have circled as an important early marker in the NFC North.
LaFleur said the Packers have tried to cover plenty of ground during the offseason so his team is ready for whatever the opener throws at them.
“I think the early part of the season is always a big challenge,” LaFleur said. “Hopefully we’ve done a good enough job in presenting our team, whether it’s offense, defense or special teams, with a bunch of different looks to get them prepared for that moment.”
Green Bay will lean on Jordan Love to help establish the rhythm in this one. The quarterback has had success with the Packers, but the franchise is still chasing the kind of finish that gets them to the Super Bowl. LaFleur will try to put Love in position to get rolling right away, but the veteran passer will still have to deliver on the field.
Minnesota is chasing a rebound season of its own, which makes this a clean Week 1 clash between two teams that know the stakes inside the division. The teams know each other well, even with roster changes on both sides, and that familiarity tends to make this rivalry feel personal every time they meet.
With the NFC North expected to be one of the toughest divisions in football this season, the margin for error is thin from the jump. Every game matters, and this one matters right away.
Kickoff is set for Sept. 13 at 1:25 p.m. PT/4:25 p.m.
ET from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota.
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