The Packers enter Week 1 with the kind of résumé that should command respect, even if the results haven’t fully matched the talent. Green Bay has reached the playoffs in three straight seasons, but it has managed just one win in four postseason games during that stretch. Now the Packers open the 2026 campaign with an NFC North matchup against the Vikings.
Minnesota, meanwhile, spent last season looking like a team with plenty of playoff-caliber pieces and one glaring problem: quarterback play. That changed this offseason when the Vikings brought in Kyler Murray, and Sunday will be his first game in a Minnesota uniform.
Murray’s career has always come with the same mix of intrigue and frustration. He has flashed the kind of upside that once pushed him into the MVP conversation early in previous seasons, but injuries and uneven play eventually led the Cardinals to move on.
Minnesota is betting that a reset is exactly what he needs, and the setup looks promising on paper. He’ll have a strong supporting cast around him, and he’ll be working under Kevin O'Connell, a coach with a track record of developing quarterbacks.
Still, Week 1 is where the questions start getting answered. Murray’s debut will say a lot about where his 2026 season is headed, and it will also reveal whether the Vikings really were just a quarterback away.
That uncertainty is part of why the Packers are the side to back here. Green Bay doesn’t always win over the public in the biggest spots, and that has helped shape the perception around the team. But the underlying numbers from last season were strong: the Packers finished sixth in offensive DVOA and seventh in Net Yards per Play.
In what looks close to a true toss-up, the edge goes to the quarterback who feels more reliable right now. That’s enough to side with Green Bay in this Week 1 rivalry game.
In Other News...
Vikings Face A Tough J.J. McCarthy Decision No One Expected
J.J. McCarthys standing in Minnesota has taken an unexpected turn, and the next move could be shaped as much by business as football. The Vikings are reportedly expected to seek playing-time conditions on any draft pick they receive in a potential trade involving the quarterback, a sign that the team would want any return tied to how much the next stop actually uses him.
McCarthy has already lost the starting job to Kyler Murray and is also dealing with an ankle injury, which has only fueled questions about where this goes from here. Kevin OConnell has said he wants to keep working with McCarthy, but there have also been rumors about a difference in how invested OConnell and former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah were in the quarterback, adding another layer to a decision the Vikings did not appear to expect this soon. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Lose Tight End Depth At Worst Possible Time
The Vikings trimmed and shifted the bottom of the roster as they settled into the early stretch of the 2026 season, placing tight end Ben Yurosek on injured reserve and releasing safety Kahlef Hailassie from the practice squad. Yuroseks absence is not expected to be long-term, but it still leaves Minnesota thinner at a spot that matters when teams start sorting out special teams roles, blocking packages and the backup plan behind the top of the depth chart.
For now, Minnesota will lean on its veteran pairing of T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver to handle the tight end load while it waits to see when Yurosek can return. The hope inside the building is that he can be back later in the season, but the timing is less than ideal for a team trying to keep its offense and supporting pieces steady right out of the gate. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings May Have Found Demond Claibornes Fastest Path To The Field
The Vikings didnt use a premium pick on Demond Claiborne, but they may have given him a clearer route to playing time anyway. Drafted in the sixth round, the rookie running back enters a crowded backfield behind veterans Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, so Minnesota has been looking for ways to make his speed matter right away. His preseason work has only strengthened the idea that he can help sooner rather than later.
Kick return duties could be the quickest way for Claiborne to get on the field, and that would fit the kind of multi-purpose value teams want from a late-round pick. The Vikings are still sorting out how he might fit into the offense as well, but special teams offers an immediate opening and a chance to turn his explosiveness into something more tangible while he waits for a bigger role in the backfield. [Read more 🡒]