The NFL is making its first flex scheduling move of the season, and the Week 5 Bears-Packers game is the one getting pushed.
Chicago’s trip to Green Bay on Oct. 11 was originally set for the late afternoon window at 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox.
Instead, it will now kick off at 1 p.m. ET and remain on Fox.
No other Week 5 games are being changed, but the switch reshapes the network’s late window. Fox has the national doubleheader that week, and when the schedule was released in May, three games were lined up for the 4:25 p.m. ET slot:
Lions (2-1) at Cardinals (1-2)
49ers (3-0) at Seahawks (2-1)
Bears (2-1) at Packers (1-2)
With Bears-Packers moved earlier, 49ers-Seahawks is now expected to slide into Fox’s featured late-afternoon window.
It’s a notable call, since Bears-Packers was one of the more recognizable matchups on the board. Last season, the teams met three times, including the playoffs, and each game drew a national audience.
Their first meeting in Week 14 aired in the 4:25 p.m. ET slot on Fox.
The second came in Week 16 as a Saturday night Fox game. Then they met again in the playoffs on another Saturday night, this time on Prime.
The move also lines up with the current state of both teams. Caleb Williams is out, leaving the Bears to start either Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum at quarterback in Week 5, while the Packers have been struggling.
That shift clears the way for a bigger spotlight on the 49ers-Seahawks matchup in Seattle. Entering Week 4, the 49ers rank second in the NFL in scoring at 32.7 points per game, and Seattle’s defense has allowed the fewest yards per game through three weeks.
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