GREEN BAY — Despite an off-season of uncertainty, the regular season is now clear after the Packers today released the 2021 schedule.

The Packers open the season in New Orleans against the Saints on Sunday, Sept. 12 (FOX/3:25 pm CT), but the game won’t bear any resemblance to the Rodgers-Brees matchup, at least on the Saints sideline.

The season also adds a 17th game and eliminates one of the usually meaningless pre-season contests.

Week 2 brings a division opponent at home for the fourth consecutive season, and for the second straight year it will be the Detroit Lions. The game will be on Monday Night Football and is the first of three home prime-time games against division opponents.

The Packers go back on the road in Week 3 as they travel to face the San Francisco 49ers on a Sunday night, marking the fourth consecutive season Green Bay has faced the 49ers in a prime-time contest and the third consecutive year on the road. Over the next two weeks, Green Bay will play the first of two back-to-backs against the AFC North, welcoming the Pittsburgh Steelers to Lambeau Field in Week 4 and traveling to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals in Week 5. The Cincinnati game will be the first of four road contests in five weeks for the Packers.

Week 6 brings a return to division play as Green Bay goes to Chicago and faces off with the Bears. The Packers then return to Lambeau for a Week 7 contest against the Washington Football Team before back-to-back road trips. Green Bay will visit the Arizona Cardinals on a Thursday night in Week 8 to finish an October slate that will see the Packers play five games for the first time since 2010, and then has a trip to Kansas City to play the Chiefs in Week 9.

Green Bay plays six of its final eight regular-season games against the NFC, starting with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10 at home. After a trip to play the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11, Green Bay finishes the regular season with four of its last six games at home for the second straight year and the fourth time since 1940 (1969, 1977).

Green Bay hosts the Los Angeles Rams before a Week 13 bye, marking the seventh straight season the Packers will play at home heading into their bye week. It is the latest bye ever for Green Bay, and it is the fourth time since 1990 that the Packers have had a bye in Week 10 or later (Week 11 in 2019, Week 10 in 2012 and 2010).

It will be the first time since 2017 that Green Bay plays at home heading into the bye and coming out of the bye. The matchup versus Chicago on a Sunday night in Week 14 marks the 16th consecutive regular season that the Packers and Bears have squared off in a prime-time game. In Weeks 15-16, Green Bay will finish off its slate against the AFC North with a trip to face the Baltimore Ravens and then a home game on Christmas Day against the Cleveland Browns. It is just the third time the Packers will play on Christmas, having hosted the Bears in 2005 and 2011.

Green Bay will end the regular season with back-to-back NFC North games for the fourth time in the last six seasons. The Packers’ last regular-season home game is slated for a Sunday night versus the Vikings in Week 17. For the fourth time in the last six years, Green Bay will end the regular season in Detroit. The game at the Lions is scheduled for Sunday, but the league schedule does not list Saturday games or a Sunday night game in Week 18, and three games with playoff implications will be moved to those time slots no later than six days prior to January 9.

Here’s the full schedule:

PRESEASON

WEEK 1 · Sat 08/14 · 7:00 PM CDT
Houston Texans
PACKERS TV NETWORK
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
LAMBEAU FIELD

WEEK 2 · Sat 08/21 · 3:25 PM CDT
New York Jets
PACKERS TV NETWORK
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
LAMBEAU FIELD (GOLD PACKAGE)

WEEK 3 · Sat 08/28 · 12:00 PM CDT
AT Buffalo Bills
PACKERS TV NETWORK
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
BILLS STADIUM

REGULAR SEASON

WEEK 1 · Sun 09/12 · 3:25 PM CDT
AT New Orleans Saints
FOX
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
MERCEDES-BENZ SUPERDOME

WEEK 2 · Mon 09/20 · 7:15 PM CDT
Detroit Lions
ESPN
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
LAMBEAU FIELD
Packers Premium

WEEK 3 · Sun 09/26 · 7:20 PM CDT
AT San Francisco 49ers
NBC
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
LEVI’S STADIUM

WEEK 4 · Sun 10/03 · 3:25 PM CDT
Pittsburgh Steelers
CBS
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
LAMBEAU FIELD (GOLD PACKAGE)
Packers Premium

WEEK 5 · Sun 10/10 · 12:00 PM CDT
AT Cincinnati Bengals
FOX
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
PAUL BROWN STADIUM

WEEK 6 · Sun 10/17 · 12:00 PM CDT
AT Chicago Bears
FOX
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
SOLDIER FIELD

WEEK 7 · Sun 10/24 · 12:00 PM CDT
Washington Football Team
FOX
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
LAMBEAU FIELD
Packers Premium

WEEK 8 · Thu 10/28 · 7:20 PM CDT
AT Arizona Cardinals
FOX / NFL NETWORK / AMAZON
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
STATE FARM STADIUM

WEEK 9 · Sun 11/07 · 3:25 PM CST
AT Kansas City Chiefs
FOX
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
ARROWHEAD STADIUM

WEEK 10 · Sun 11/14 · 3:25 PM CST
Seattle Seahawks
CBS
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
LAMBEAU FIELD
Packers Premium

WEEK 11 · Sun 11/21 · 12:00 PM CST
AT Minnesota Vikings
FOX
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
U.S. BANK STADIUM

WEEK 12 · Sun 11/28 · 3:25 PM CST
Los Angeles Rams
FOX
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
LAMBEAU FIELD (GOLD PACKAGE)
Packers Premium

WEEK 13
Bye Week

WEEK 14 · Sun 12/12 · 7:20 PM CST
Chicago Bears
NBC
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
LAMBEAU FIELD
Packers Premium

WEEK 15 · Sun 12/19 · 12:00 PM CST
AT Baltimore Ravens
FOX
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
M&T BANK STADIUM

WEEK 16 · Sat 12/25 · 3:30 PM CST
Cleveland Browns
FOX / NFL NETWORK / AMAZON
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
LAMBEAU FIELD
Packers Premium

WEEK 17 · Sun 01/02 · 7:20 PM CST
Minnesota Vikings
NBC
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
LAMBEAU FIELD
Packers Premium

WEEK 18 · Sun 01/09 · 12:00 PM CST
AT Detroit Lions
FOX
WTMJ MILWAUKEE / WIXX GREEN BAY
FORD FIELD