Packers to open 2020 season at Vikings, host Bears on Sunday night after Thanksgiving

GREEN BAY - An air of uncertainty surrounded the release Thursday evening of the Green Bay Packers' schedule for the 2020 NFL season.

The Packers are set to open Sept. 13 at noon at the Minnesota Vikings, with their home opener the following Sunday at noon against the Detroit Lions. They will host the Chicago Bears on Nov. 29 (a night game the Sunday after Thanksgivings) and will conclude the regular season against the Bears at Soldier Field.

The Packers will visit New Orleans in Week 3 for a Sunday night game at 7:20 p.m. on Sept. 27. They are back in prime time the following week, hosting Atlanta on Oct 5 in a Monday night game at 7:20 p.m.

After an early bye week, the Packers will visit Tom Brady and Tampa Bay on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 3:25 p.m. Brady's debut in Week 1 will be against New Orleans.

The Packers visit San Francisco for an NFC championship game rematch Thursday night Nov. 5 at 7:20 p.m. Their fifth prime-time game will be Dec. 27 at home against Tennessee.

The Gold Package games are Oct. 5 vs. Atlanta and Nov. 29 against Chicago.

The Packers' preseason opener is set for Aug. 13-17 at home against Arizona.

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The schedule is based on a presumption that there will be no delays or disruptions due to the coronavirus, which put the rest of the sports world on hold in March. The NFL proceeded with the start of free agency in March and its annual draft in April, and still plans to stage the regular-season opener with a nationally televised Thursday night game Sept. 10.

Contingency plans reportedly include pushing the start of the season back to mid-October and eliminating the bye weeks during the season and the week before the Super Bowl.

Regular season

Week 1: at Minnesota Vikings, noon, Sept. 13, Fox

Week 2: DETROIT LIONS, noon, Sept. 20, Fox

Week 3: at New Orleans Saints, 7:20 p.m., Sept. 27, NBC

Week 4: ATLANTA FALCONS*, 7:15 p.m., Oct. 5, ESPN

Week 5: BYE

Week 6: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 3:25 p.m., Oct. 18, Fox

Week 7: at Houston Texans, noon, Oct. 25, Fox

Week 8: MINNESOTA VIKINGS, noon, Nov. 1, Fox

Week 9: at San Francisco 49ers, 7:20 p.m., Nov. 5, Fox/NFL Network/Prime

Week 10: JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, noon, Nov. 15, Fox

Week 11: at Indianapolis Colts, noon, Nov. 22, Fox

Week 12: CHICAGO BEARS*, 7:20 p.m., Nov. 29, NBC

Week 13: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, 3:25 p.m., Dec. 6, CBS

Week 14: at Detroit Lions, noon, Dec. 13, Fox

Week 15: CAROLINA PANTHERS, Dec. 19-20

Week 16: TENNESSEE TITANS, 7:20 p.m., Dec. 27, NBC

Week 17: at Chicago Bears, noon, Jan. 3, Fox

Preseason

Week 1: ARIZONA CARDINALS, Aug. 13-17, TBD

Week 2: CLEVELAND BROWNS*, Aug. 20-24, TBD

Week 3: at New York Giants, Aug. 27-30, TBD

Week 4: at Kansas City Chiefs, Sept. 3-4, TBD

* Gold Package game