As the new league year approaches on March 11, the Green Bay Packers and head coach Matt LaFleur are already preparing for the 2026 season.
While fans are still waiting for the NFL to release the full 2026 schedule sometime in May, the Packers are already working behind the scenes on parts of their offseason plans.
One of those plans could involve a unique joint practice opportunity later this summer.
Packers Eye Joint Practice With Mike LaFleur’s Cardinals
On Thursday, March 5, Rob Demovsky of ESPN reported that Green Bay hopes to host the Arizona Cardinals for one of their four allowed joint practices.
The practice would also create a notable coaching storyline, as it would place brothers Matt and Mike LaFleur on opposite sidelines for the first time as head coaches.
“The Packers are planning to host the Arizona Cardinals for a joint practice in advance of their Week 3 preseason game pending league approval, according to a source. The LaFleur brothers — Matt and Mike — will share the field this summer,” Demovsky reported.
The moment would be particularly meaningful for both coaches considering their unconventional paths to the NFL.
Matt LaFleur acknowledged earlier this year how surreal the situation feels.
“I’d say you’re full of s—,” Matt said. “It is pretty surreal. Humble beginnings. My dad at Central Michigan. I walked on at Western Michigan and played D-II ball. Mike played at Elmhurst College, played D-III ball. And I think we have really great appreciation for just guys that are essentially playing for the love of the game. And I think that is kind of in our core and who we are.”
After recently signing an extension with Green Bay, Matt LaFleur, 46, will enter his eighth season as the Packers’ head coach. Meanwhile, Mike LaFleur, 38, is beginning his first stint as an NFL head coach after being hired by Arizona following three seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. Before that, he spent two years with the New York Jets.
Packers and Cardinals Could Meet Only Once in 2026
Unless the Packers and Cardinals cross paths in the postseason, the joint practice would likely be the only time the LaFleur brothers share the field during the 2026 season.
Although the NFL schedule has yet to be finalized, Green Bay already knows its list of opponents.
As always, the Packers will face their NFC North rivals twice. They will also play all four teams from the NFC South, hosting the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field while traveling to face the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Green Bay will also travel to face the Rams at SoFi Stadium.
Their AFC matchups include home games against the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins, with road trips scheduled against the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Houston Texans.
Green Bay will be looking to reach the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season and the seventh time in eight years under Matt LaFleur. The Packers have only missed the postseason once during his tenure, though they were eliminated in the Wild Card round in each of the last two seasons.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, are trying to end their own playoff drought. Arizona hasn’t reached the postseason in four years, with its most recent appearance coming in 2021 when the team lost in the Wild Card round. Over the past 11 seasons, the Cardinals have made the playoffs just three times.
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