Packers passed on bye after London game vs. Giants

NFL fans around the country learned who their favorite teams will be playing and when this fall and early winter via Thursday night's full schedule release. 

Those who support the Green Bay Packers may have noticed something they initially found unusual. 

Green Bay is set to "host" the New York Giants at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London for Week 5 on Oct. 9. The previous Sunday, the Packers will face the New England Patriots, and they'll then make quick trips to and from Europe so that they can welcome the New York Jets to Lambeau Field on Oct. 16. 

As ESPN's Rob Demovsky pointed out, this setup wasn't created by accident, nor was it a mistake. 

"The NFL now leaves it up to the teams playing overseas if they want to take their bye the following week," Demovsky wrote. "The Packers chose not to, thinking an Oct. 16 bye was too early in a 17-game season." 

Green Bay will instead be active through Week 13 before its bye, which comes ahead of what could be a pivotal home showdown with the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 19. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, head coach Matt LaFleur explained during a Thursday evening appearance on NFL Network the Packers deferred the bye until later in the campaign. 

"Hopefully we've got a lot to play for during that time," Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst remarked about the club restarting play in Week 15, per Mike Spofford of the Packers' website.