The Packers' 2026 schedule is weirder than you think

The NFL released the full 2026 schedule on Thursday, and the Packers' slate features more than a few oddities.

The annual pomp and circumstance manufactured for the equivalent of a calendar release finally arrived Thursday evening when the NFL unveiled the official 2026 regular-season schedule.

As has become an annual tradition, seemingly every sportswriter breathlessly “analyzed” the order of the games and the related travel logistics for their team coverage. This, of course, ignores that any fan who actually cares enough to check a schedule for games that take place five or more months in the future can decipher that information without assistance.

For anyone who didn’t tune in for the schedule release, here is the Green Bay Packers’ schedule for the 2026 regular season:

As a reader of The Leap, most of the big details will already stand out to you. So, rather than simply recite what this highly invested audience already knows, this edition of the newsletter will instead focus on the weird (but not necessarily less important) quirks of the schedule.

The Packers won’t draw the Raiders, but they could still face Maxx Crosby

No move from this NFL offseason garnered more headlines than the one that didn’t make it to the finish line.

On March 7, the Las Vegas Raiders agreed to send Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks. Like all trades, the deal couldn’t become official until the player involved passed a physical with his new team. But while that process rarely unwinds blockbuster deals, the Ravens’ medical staff ultimately balked at the condition of Crosby’s knee, resulting in the cancellation of the move.

Following Baltimore’s decision to back out of the trade, Crosby posted on social media about his recommitment to the Raiders. Meanwhile, Las Vegas reportedly doesn’t plan to shop the five-time Pro Bowler again in 2026. On paper, that would put an end to any potential Crosby movement for the foreseeable future.

Of course, just because a team doesn’t intend to do something doesn’t mean it won’t. The same factors that led to the original Crosby trade remain in place. Though his productivity hasn’t dipped, he turns 29 in August and has played over 7,000 career snaps, including playoffs. Crosby also recently underwent surgery to repair a “significant meniscus tear and the related stress injury to the bone and cartilage in his knee,” according to the surgeon who performed the procedure.

If the Raiders fall out of playoff contention by the time the trade deadline arrives, they could again consider Crosby’s future. They just spent the No. 1 overall pick on quarterback Fernando Mendoza and brought in a new coaching staff, a major reset at the two most important roles in the organization. That timeline might not align with Crosby’s, forcing the team to reopen trade discussions.

Should that happen, Las Vegas will probably find a healthy market for the superstar pass rusher’s services. Some of those potential suitors will play the Packers this season and, importantly, will do so after the Nov. 10 trade deadline.

At least two opponents reportedly interested in Crosby face Green Bay after the deadline. On Nov. 25, the Los Angeles Rams host the Packers at SoFi Stadium. The Rams have already made some major personnel moves this offseason, upgrading their secondary with former Kansas City Chiefs corners Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Waddle. However, general manager Les Snead could still strike a deal for Crosby, as The Athletic’s Nate Atkins suggested this week:

I’d also keep an eye on Maxx Crosby. He seems to have mended things with the Las Vegas Raiders after the trade to the Baltimore Ravens was reversed, but the organization’s approach could change if the Raiders hit another tough start to a season.

Likewise, the Chicago Bears will host the Packers on Christmas. Chicago’s need for pass rushers has hardly flown under the radar, but the team didn’t use significant resources to address the problem in free agency or the draft. At present, the Bears’ front four looks identical to the one with which they opened the 2024 season: Montez Sweat, Gervon Dexter Sr., Grady Jarrett, and Dayo Odeyingbo.

Crosby, if healthy, could transform that group. His price tag at the deadline might not match the one the Ravens briefly committed to pay in March.

A few other late-season opponents could plausibly have interest in Crosby as well.

The Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions have considered deadline trades for veteran pass rushers in the recent past, and both enter 2026 with some questions along their defensive fronts. The Bills’ current rotation features Greg Rousseau, Bradley Chubb, and the recently signed Mike Danna. If they determine that Danna can’t adequately fill the shoes most recently occupied by Joey Bosa, perhaps a move for Crosby -- along with some salary-cap gymnastics -- makes sense. Meanwhile, the Lions continue to search for a bookend to Aidan Hutchinson, and if Derrick Moore, D.J. Wonnum, and the team’s other projects don’t pan out, Crosby could supercharge that front.

If any of those teams trade for Crosby before the deadline, the complexion of their matchups with the Packers changes accordingly.