The Green Bay Packers’ trip to Arizona hit a major snag before the team even left the ground. On Saturday, mechanical troubles grounded their charter plane on the tarmac in Wisconsin, forcing players and coaches to wait it out for over five hours.

The Packers typically operate two flights during away games, one carrying players and coaches, another for team staff. The staff plane departed Green Bay at 1:15 p.m. CT without complications.

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But when the second flight developed mechanical issues, there was no quick fix. A backup aircraft had to be flown in from Detroit, pushing the departure window deeper into the evening.

“Wheels up: The #Packers plane is in the air. Finally,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported at 8:21 p.m. Saturday.

The delay meant the team wouldn’t touch down in Phoenix until 8:32 p.m. local time, nearly five hours behind schedule. With kickoff against the Arizona Cardinals set for 1:25 p.m. Mountain Time on Sunday, the late arrival added pressure to an already tight turnaround.

Travel complications can throw off team rhythms, but Green Bay showed no signs of rust.

Fresh off their bye week, the Packers picked up momentum immediately. They dismantled the Cincinnati Bengals 27-18 to improve to 3-1-1 on the season. Their only loss came in Week 3, a narrow 13-10 road defeat to the Cleveland Browns.

Now entering Week 7, the NFC North race is heating up. Green Bay holds a slim half-game lead over the Detroit Lions for divisional control, making Sunday’s matchup against Arizona crucial.

The Cardinals arrive desperate. They’ve dropped four straight games since starting the season 2-0, searching for answers as their early momentum fades. For the Packers, overcoming travel chaos to stay atop their division sends a statement.

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