Packers: Predicting primetime TV games for 2023

The Green Bay Packers will have a different look in 2023 without Aaron Rodgers. How will that impact their primetime appearances?

It appears to be a period of transition from the Green Bay Packers, who are likely exiting the realm of regular Super Bowl contenders once they complete a deal to send future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets. 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love is awaiting his opportunity to lead Green Bay and now the Packers will find out if he can continue their unparalleled run of success at the game’s most important position.

Expectations will be significantly lowered for Green Bay as the downgrade from Rodgers to Love is steep, so it is fair to assume they won’t be one of the NFL’s top teams in 2023. There will still be a ton of interest in the Packers since Love is an unknown and the franchise is one of the NFL’s most prestigious, which should still lead to some significant primetime exposure for Green Bay.

How many primetime games will the Packers play in 2023?

Before we can begin to assess how many primetime games Green Bay will get in 2023, let’s look at their prospective opponents. The Packers will play the AFC West and NFC South outside of their NFC North foes along with three placement games: home against the Los Angeles Rams and road trips to the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.

The NFL may look to schedule a bit differently for Green Bay’s primetime games without Rodgers since the Packers can’t guarantee elite quarterback play for duels against the likes of Patrick Mahomes or Justin Herbert. The name value the franchise brings, however, should be able to offset the loss of Rodgers and make them a draw if Love is at least competent at quarterback.

The big difference will likely be fewer appearances on Sunday Night Football, which should send Green Bay to Monday night at least twice. The Packers could also be a candidate for a second appearance on Thursday Night Football as an opponent for the Lions, who ordinarily don’t appear on Thursday night due to their appearance on Thanksgiving.

Don’t be shocked if the NFL schedules some of the Packers’ primetime appearances for later in the season so they can be flexed out if Love is a complete disaster.

Packers Primetime Games: 5 (At Detroit Lions, Vs. Minnesota Vikings, At Pittsburgh Steelers, At Chicago Bears, Vs. Los Angeles Chargers)