The Green Bay Packers are absolutely one of the NFL's most popular franchises, but that does not earn them any special treatment from the league's schedule makers. In fact, there's a cogent argument to be made that quarterback Jordan Love and his teammates have been treated unfairly by the NFL's schedule makers over the past several seasons.
No team in the NFL has received less rest days than the Packers since 2019. Their total of -28 days puts them in a tie with the New Orleans Saints for the last spot in the league table. Negative days are accumulated by playing on short weeks for games like Monday Night and Thursday Night football.
It's highly unlikely that this is a result of some type of conspiracy against the Packers. Someone has to finish last in the table. It's logical to assume that a team like the Packers might finish towards the bottom because of the NFL's interest in placing them in high-profile, primetime matchups.
The Packers aren't getting the same rest as everyone else
That argument ebbs away when considering the reality that the Cowboys occupy the No. 2 spot on the list. Their plus-31 total is hard to understand given their consistent game on Thanksgiving Day. "America's Team" should see their rest reduced by the NFL's desire to keep them in the spotlight. It's difficult to understand how they're on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Packers fans also have a gripe inside their own division. The Lions top the list with an eye-popping plus-48 days of rest. In fairness, they were not playing many high-profile television games before Dan Campbell arrived in Detroit and turned them into a Super Bowl contender. It's still hard to fathom why a difference of 76 days of rest falls between two teams expected to compete for the same NFC North crown on an annual basis.
The obvious downside to losing rest for the Packers is the wear and tear it inevitably causes to key members of their roster. Love has missed a fair amount of time lately, which gives head coach Matt LaFleur's offense a lot of problems. Time will tell if recent running back acquisition Josh Jacobs can maintain his high level of production with a heavy workload and a lack of rest.
On defense, it's natural to wonder how much of Jaire Alexander's injury issues over the past two seasons have been negatively impacted by his team's schedule. Perhaps he could have played more than seven games in each of his last two seasons if he played for a team that was given more help by NFL schedule makers.
Do not expect anyone associated with Green Bay's front office, coaching staff or roster to utilize their lack of rest as an excuse for any loss they incur in 2025. They will remain focused on the task at hand, regardless of what NFL variables might be working against them.
It's still a variable that can actually hamper the franchise's chances of success. That lack of rest can really hamstring a team like the Packers when the playoffs roll around. That's when Green Bay needs to be playing their best football if they want to win another Super Bowl title. The marathon of the NFL season is a challenge for the best teams. The Packers do not need the league to make things any harder on them.
In theory, the Packers should start to see some relief on this issue over the next few seasons. League officials might say the schedule making process is always built independent of previous seasons, but that's not the way to achieve true competitive balance. If the NFL really wants to give every franchise an equal shot at Super Bowl glory, they need to even their rest days out over the long haul. The Packers would certainly be in favor of that.