Schedule leak: Lions’ Week 18 opponent revealed

TL;DR

The Detroit Lions will face the Green Bay Packers in their Week 18 matchup for the 2026 season. This game marks a return to a classic rivalry, as the teams haven't closed a season against each other since 2022.

Key points

Detroit Lions will close the 2026 season against Green Bay Packers
Last season finale between Lions and Packers was in 2022
Packers lead the all-time series against Lions 108-78-7
Lions have won every season finale under coach Dan Campbell

Detroit LionsGreen Bay PackersNFL

The line of scrimmage between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions during an NFL Monday Night Football game between the Detroit Lions against the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Monday, Nov 6, 2017. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images) | Getty Images We now know which team the Detroit Lions will close out their 2026 season with. The report comes from a game not even involving the Lions. Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune reported on Wednesday night that the Minnesota Vikings will host the Chicago Bears for their Week 18 regular season finale. Because every Week 18 game is now a divisional game, we can easily deduce that **the Detroit Lions will close out the 2026 regular season against the Green Bay Packers.** At this point, we don’t know which team will host the other. Both the Lions and the Packers finished last season on the road and had home Week 18 finales in 2024. What’s particularly interesting about this matchup is the fact that despite there only being divisional regular season finales, the Lions and Packers haven’t closed out a season against each other since the iconic Sunday night game in 2022 when Detroit—with nothing to play for—kicked Green Bay out of the playoff race with a 20-16 win. That game ended a long tenure of Lions/Packers finales. The two teams played against each other in the final game of the season six times out of a seven-year stretch from 2016-2022. All-time, the Packers hold a pretty definitive 108-78-7 record in the historic rivalry between the two teams, but the recent results have been much more competitive. Since Dan Campbell took over the Lions in 2021, Detroit holds a 6-4 record over Matt LaFleur and the Packers. Additionally, the Lions have won every single season finale under Campbell—five straight. . The full schedule is expected to drop at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday night.

Q&A

Who will the Detroit Lions play in Week 18 of the 2026 NFL season?

The Detroit Lions will play against the Green Bay Packers in Week 18 of the 2026 NFL season.

When is the full schedule release for the 2026 NFL season?

The full schedule for the 2026 NFL season is expected to be released at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday night.

What is the historical record between the Lions and Packers?

The Green Bay Packers hold a 108-78-7 all-time record against the Detroit Lions in their historic rivalry.

Schedule leak: Lions’ Week 18 opponent revealed

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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