The Packers will get their 2025 opener in Minneapolis with Shawn Hochuli and his crew on the whistle.
The NFL announced its Week 1 referee assignments, and Hochuli will handle Green Bay’s matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. That alone is worth noting, because his crews have built a reputation for keeping the flag in constant use. They are the only ones to rank among the top four in the NFL in flags thrown per game in back-to-back seasons.
Green Bay saw Hochuli just once last season, in a Week 8 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. That game produced 11 flags, which was one of the lower totals for his crew during the regular season, and those penalties added up to 112 yards. Two of the calls were declined.
Across the full regular season, Hochuli’s crew worked 17 games and went below double-digit flags only once. That outlier was an eight-flag game between the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Packers finished 14th in the NFL in penalties in 2025, while the Vikings were close behind at 16th.
Hochuli’s crew last year was not as active on roughing the passer, unnecessary roughness, offensive pass interference or defensive pass interference as some other officiating teams. But they did lean heavily on neutral zone infractions, illegal blocks above the waist, intentional groundings and defensive holdings, calling those more often than the league average on a per-game basis.
So if you’re trying to set an early number for next Sunday, double digits is the safest place to start.
In Other News...
Packers Quietly Added A Week 1 Name Fans Should Not Overlook
The Packers spent the final stretch before roster cutdown making the kind of moves that can shape the first month of a season just as much as the headlines from August. One of the quieter changes was the trade of backup quarterback Kyle McCord to Miami for a 2028 sixth-round pick, but the more relevant additions for Green Bay came on the field: veteran tight end Jonnu Smith, running back Kaleb Johnson and tight end Mark Redman all arrived with a chance to matter early.
Johnson is the name that stands out because the Packers may need him sooner than expected with Josh Jacobs still on the commissioner-exempt list. Redman is more of a developmental piece, still waiting for his first regular-season snap, but the depth chart now has a different look than it did a week ago. For a team trying to thread the needle between immediate help and longer-term value, these are the kinds of late roster additions that can quietly end up carrying real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Jacobs Update Could Change The Packers Opener Decision
Josh Jacobs legal situation has taken on added significance for the Packers because the calendar has moved up. His initial court appearance, originally set for Nov. 17, has been rescheduled for Sept. 10, a date that arrives much sooner and could force the issue while Green Bay is still trying to map out its early-season backfield plans. Jacobs is dealing with two misdemeanor charges, battery and criminal damage to property, and he remains on the NFL Commissioners Exempt List as the league continues its investigation.
For the Packers, the timing matters almost as much as the case itself. An earlier hearing creates a chance for the NFL to have more clarity before any long-range roster or playing-time decisions need to be locked in, including whatever the team is thinking about for the opener. The situation is still fluid, but the shift in court date could change the pace of everything around it, from the leagues discipline timeline to Green Bays planning for one of its most important offensive pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Finally Confront A Matthew Golden Problem Fans Saw Early
Brian Gutekunst did not spend much time dancing around the issue when he discussed Matthew Goldens rookie season. The Packers general manager acknowledged the wide receiver was underused, saying Golden simply did not get as many opportunities as he should have after drawing only 44 targets and finishing with 361 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Golden did show more impact late in the season, and Gutekunst pointed to a strong training camp as another reason for optimism heading into this year. For a player Green Bay clearly believes can do more, the real question is whether the offense will finally make good on that early promise and give him a larger role when it matters. [Read more 🡒]