What was supposed to be a routine road trip turned into a marathon ordeal for the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, October 18, 2025. As the team prepared to face the Arizona Cardinals in a crucial Week 7 matchup, a mechanical issue with their charter plane left players and coaches stranded in Green Bay for more than five hours, disrupting their pregame plans and adding a layer of drama to an already pivotal game.
The Packers, who typically split their travel party between two chartered planes, saw their support staff depart on schedule at 1:15 p.m. CT. But the real trouble began when the second flight—carrying the bulk of the players and coaching staff—was unable to take off as planned at 1:30 p.m. CT. According to ESPN and multiple sources, the mechanical issue was discovered too late to move everyone onto the first plane, forcing the organization and airline Delta to scramble for a solution. Eventually, a replacement plane had to be brought in from Detroit, further compounding the delay.
By the time the new aircraft was ready, the Packers’ travel party had spent hours waiting on the tarmac, with some reports indicating the delay stretched to nearly six hours. The delayed flight finally pushed back from the gate at 7:05 p.m. CT, embarking on a three hour and twenty-three minute journey to Phoenix. The plane touched down at Sky Harbor International Airport at 8:28 p.m. MST (10:28 p.m. CT), and by the time the team had deplaned and made the bus ride to their hotel, some players and coaches had been in travel limbo for more than ten hours.
“Players and coaches are creatures of habit. No doubt the team adjusted as best it could, but the usual itinerary of landing, arriving at the team hotel and having team meetings was thrown out the window,” noted one Packers beat writer. The disruption was more than just an inconvenience; it threatened to upend the team’s pregame rhythm and preparation. Safety Xavier McKinney captured the team’s mindset, saying, “Energy. Just making sure that our energy is through the roof. I think we’re going to have really good energy because we’re going to have our fans. I’m sure it’s going to be a lot at the game. I think within the locker room, everyone’s got to have high energy and be ready to go.”
Quarterback Jordan Love echoed the importance of mental resilience, especially as the Packers remain winless on the road this season. “It’s something we’re going to have to find a way to get past. Like you said, we haven’t won yet – an L and a tie. We’ve got to find a way to go out there and be our best on the road and get over that hump.” The Packers are 0-1-1 away from Lambeau Field, with a disappointing loss at Cleveland and a tie at Dallas. Both opponents have struggled this year, making the Packers’ road woes even more glaring.
On the other side of Sunday’s matchup, the Arizona Cardinals are reeling from four consecutive losses, but their record belies just how competitive they’ve been. Each defeat has come by razor-thin margins—a combined nine points—including three heartbreakers on walk-off field goals. Head coach Matt LaFleur was quick to point out the danger of underestimating Arizona: “This is a team that’s lost four games in a row by nine points. I read something that that’s unprecedented. So, this is a good football team, and we better be ready to play.”
Indeed, the Cardinals are the only team since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to lose three straight games on last-second field goals. Their opponents in those games—the 49ers, Seahawks, and Colts—are a combined 13-5, underscoring the quality of competition. Quarterback Jordan Love added, “I think the Cardinals are a really good team. Watching their defense throughout the week, I think they do a lot of good things. Obviously, we played them last year, and I think that defense has gotten better since last year.”
Despite their struggles, the Cardinals have been efficient in critical situations. Offensively, they rank just 22nd in total yardage but are sixth in both third down conversions and goal-to-go situations. Defensively, they’re 24th overall but again sixth and seventh in those same crucial categories. “We’re not really thinking about their previous games – obviously, we’re looking at them – but wins and losses, that doesn’t really mean much in this league. You can go in there and play anybody and anything can happen on a Sunday. I think we’re very aware of that and we’re locked in and focused,” said McKinney.
Arizona’s challenge is compounded by the absence of star quarterback Kyler Murray, who is sidelined with a foot injury. Veteran backup Jacoby Brissett will start for the second straight week, hoping to steady a Cardinals offense missing its top running backs as well. On the Packers’ side, they’re expected to be without running back Josh Jacobs, who is out due to illness, further testing their depth on offense.
The matchup features intriguing battles in the trenches, particularly between the Packers’ offensive line and Arizona’s pass rushers. Defensive end Josh Sweat, with five sacks, and ageless tackle Calais Campbell, with three, anchor a Cardinals front capable of disrupting even the best-laid plans. “On third down, they’ll have him rush inside, outside, and he’s a problem,” LaFleur said of Sweat. “He’s a really good rusher, really good football player, and we’re going to have to do a really good job on him just playing with great fundamentals and technique, because he can get an edge on you in a hurry and get to the quarterback.”
Campbell, too, continues to impress. “Kind of reminds me of in terms of a guy that’s been doing a long time, like Marcedes (Lewis). He’s had some very disruptive plays this year, drew that holding penalty in the end zone versus the Niners that led to a safety. He’s an impressive guy. I’ve got a lot of respect for him,” said LaFleur.
While the Cardinals’ overall sack percentage ranks near the bottom of the league, their individual playmakers could spell trouble for Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who has struggled under pressure. Of 34 quarterbacks pressured on at least 40 dropbacks, Love ranks 32nd in completion percentage, last in yards per attempt, and 30th in passer rating when facing heat. The Cardinals will be eager to exploit that vulnerability, especially with the Packers’ travel fatigue still lingering.
Despite the travel nightmare, the Packers enter the contest as 7-point favorites, according to oddsmakers. Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET (1:25 p.m. MT) on Fox, with both teams hungry for a win—Green Bay seeking its first road victory of the season, Arizona desperate to snap its losing skid and head into a bye week on a high note.
Will the Packers shake off their exhausting journey and end their road drought, or will the Cardinals finally convert close calls into a much-needed victory? All eyes will be on Glendale as the action unfolds, with both teams determined to rewrite their narratives in what promises to be a hard-fought clash.
