3 Ways Brazil Game Will Affect Packers' Start to 2024 Season

Con: Prevents a "Normal" Start to the Year

The biggest drawback to the Packers getting this honor is the fact it disrupts a "normal" start to the season.

Most teams will have a typical prep period for Week 1 with the majority of games on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Brazil matchup is set for Friday night on Sept. 6. That means Green Bay would have to start getting ready on the preceding Saturday (Aug. 31) to follow the usual pregame ramp-up schedule.

There's no problem with this in and of itself, considering there's a lull between the final preseason game and Week 1. But it certainly prevents players from getting into their normal rhythm for the regular season by not having Monday-Saturday to prepare ahead of a Sunday kickoff

There's also the logistics that will be a burden for players to sort out. International travel involves having passports, and we've seen that cause headaches or even absences in the NBA or MLB. The team may need to arrive in Brazil early for various PR and marketing events as well, which would require prolonged house-/baby-/animal-sitters.

Professional athletes are creatures of habit, so starting the year off with a major disruption like this may be a legitimate obstacle for this team to overcome in the early going.

However, maybe the team's 2023 schedule will help them adjust to a Friday kickoff. The Packers played on Thursday night twice last season, so most members of the squad have some experience with an abnormal week. Hopefully, that helps prevent some of the hiccups they may face.