Bears-Packers game gets a major Week 5 schedule change

· Yahoo Sports

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The NFL has made a notable change to the Week 5 schedule, moving the Chicago Bears’ divisional matchup against the Green Bay Packers out of its originally scheduled late-afternoon window. The rivalry game will now take place earlier on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Chicago and Green Bay were initially scheduled to meet at 3:25 p.m. CT (4:25 p.m. ET) on Oct. 11. The NFL announced Sept. 29 that the game would instead kick off at noon CT (1 p.m. ET) and remain on FOX.

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The change is the league’s first use of its flex scheduling powers this season. It also leaves the San Francisco 49ers-Seattle Seahawks matchup as one of the main late-afternoon games on FOX in Week 5.

NFL moves rivalry game into earlier window

The Bears-Packers game was originally placed in the 3:25 p.m. CT (4:25 p.m. ET) window when the 2026 schedule was released. The NFL has now moved the matchup to noon CT (1 p.m. ET), giving it an earlier Sunday television slot.

The game will still air on FOX, so the schedule adjustment does not remove the rivalry from the network’s Week 5 coverage. Chicago’s official announcement confirmed the game will begin at noon Central Time at Lambeau Field.

It will be the first meeting of the season between the NFC North rivals. Their second matchup is already scheduled for Christmas Day, when the teams will meet at Soldier Field in Chicago at noon CT (1 p.m. ET) on Netflix.

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The move changes FOX’s afternoon lineup

The schedule adjustment reduces the number of games in FOX’s late-afternoon window. The original schedule had the Bears-Packers game, Lions-Cardinals, and 49ers-Seahawks occupying the network’s 4:25 p.m. ET window.

With Chicago and Green Bay moving earlier, San Francisco and Seattle now become the main 4:25 p.m. ET FOX matchup. Detroit and Arizona remain in the same afternoon period, with their game scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET.

The NFL’s final Week 5 schedule also includes Denver at the Los Angeles Chargers at 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS. The change therefore gives FOX a different distribution of games during its Sunday doubleheader.

Chicago enters with quarterback uncertainty

The timing change comes while the Bears are dealing with uncertainty at quarterback. Caleb Williams suffered a right hamstring injury against Minnesota, and his availability for the Packers game remained unclear entering Week 4.

Reports indicated Williams had a Grade 2 hamstring injury that could sideline him for 3-4 weeks. Chicago ruled him out for Week 4 against the New York Jets, with Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent both in the mix to start.

Chicago was 2-1 before its Week 4 game against the Jets. The team still had that matchup to play before traveling to Green Bay, meaning the quarterback situation could change before the rivalry game arrives.

Green Bay has also started unevenly

The Packers entered the early portion of the season at 1-2, giving them an uneven beginning heading into the divisional matchup. Their early record is one factor surrounding the NFL’s decision to move the game from the late-afternoon window.

Green Bay is also monitoring defensive star Micah Parsons. The Packers edge rusher is recovering from a torn ACL, and reports have described his return timeline as uncertain, with Week 5 mentioned as a possible target but not a confirmed return date.

Despite the change, the rivalry itself remains one of the league’s longest-running matchups. Chicago and Green Bay have met repeatedly in nationally visible games, including multiple meetings last season and a wild-card playoff game in January 2026.

Rivalry still carries NFC North stakes

The Bears-Packers matchup remains important because both teams are competing within the NFC North. Their first meeting of 2026 will give the division rivals an early opportunity to establish momentum in the head-to-head series.

Last season’s rivalry produced multiple meetings, including a wild-card playoff game. Two of those matchups were played in nationally visible windows, with the playoff meeting taking place on a Saturday night.

The teams will not have to wait long for another meeting after October. Their second game is scheduled for Christmas Day in Chicago, creating another nationally prominent chapter in the rivalry later in the season.

Fun fact: The Bears-Packers rivalry began in 1921, making it the NFL’s oldest rivalry.

Week 5 now features new afternoon matchups

The revised Week 5 schedule places several notable games in the early Sunday window. Bears-Packers joins Bengals-Dolphins, Raiders-Patriots, Vikings-Saints, Browns-Jets, Colts-Steelers, Texans-Titans, and Giants-Commanders at 1 p.m. ET.

The late afternoon features Broncos-Chargers at 4:05 p.m. ET, followed by Lions-Cardinals and 49ers-Seahawks at 4:25 p.m. ET. Baltimore and Atlanta are scheduled for the Sunday night game, while Buffalo and the Los Angeles Rams close the week on Monday night.

The schedule also includes an international matchup, with Philadelphia visiting Jacksonville in London at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday. Tampa Bay and Dallas open Week 5 on Thursday night.

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Bears-Packers matchup gets earlier spotlight

The NFL’s decision changes the viewing window but does not remove the Bears-Packers game from FOX’s Sunday coverage. Instead, the longtime rivals will now take the field during the early portion of the network’s schedule.

The move also places greater attention on the 49ers-Seahawks matchup in the late afternoon. San Francisco entered the season’s early weeks with a 3-0 record, while Seattle was 2-1, adding another layer to the revised FOX lineup.

For Chicago and Green Bay, the bigger story will remain what happens on the field. With both teams facing different early-season circumstances, their first 2026 meeting will provide another important NFC North test before their Christmas rematch.

Fun fact: The Bears’ famous 1985 defense allowed only 12.4 points per game during the regular season.

TL;DR

  • The NFL moved Bears–Packers from its original 4:25 p.m. ET (3:25 p.m. CT) slot to 1 p.m. ET (noon CT) on Oct. 11.
  • The rivalry game will remain on FOX and will be played at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
  • The schedule change is the NFL’s first use of its flex scheduling powers during the 2026 season.
  • San Francisco-Seattle now occupies the main 4:25 p.m. ET FOX window alongside Detroit-Arizona.
  • Chicago and Green Bay will meet again on Christmas Day at Soldier Field later this season, at noon CT (1 p.m. ET) on Netflix.

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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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