With playoff hopes hanging by a thread, Green Bay Packers ticket prices remain historically low
Sunday's Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears game at Soldier Field is all about the quarterbacks. Both starting quarterbacks are injured and any number of different-style games could result depending on who's calling plays.
To start with, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers added injured ribs to the broken thumb on his throwing hand that he's been playing with since the New York Jets game in mid-October. Rodgers, who has a 25-5 record against the Bears since 2008, left the Eagles game in the third quarter Sunday at Philadelphia to be replaced by Jordan Love, who completed six of nine passes for 113 yards and one touchdown in the 40-33 loss. It might be Love's chance to lay claim to his future ownership of the Packers' No. 1 rival, or Rodgers could pad his record against his most-abused opponent.
In their 31-10 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday, the 3-9 Bears demonstrated that without Justin Fields at quarterback, they are just another bad team. Fans who saw Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts run wild against the Packers defense — Hurts had 157 yards rushing and 153 yards passing — got a preview of what awaits them in Chicago if Fields plays. The Chicago quarterback put up similar numbers for the Bears during the three games before he was injured.
The average of lowest prices for secondary market tickets on Monday was $173, down from $212 last week and $231 on Nov. 14, when it was more likely both Rodgers and Fields would play. The get-in price is determined by averaging the lowest prices at 10 secondary market sites.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus said there is a chance Fields could play against the Packers. Rodgers indicated in his post-game press conference Sunday that he expects to play if there is no major structural damage to his ribs. The 4-8 Packers are not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, although to say their chances are hanging by a thread might be too optimistic by half.
On the plus side, three of the Packers' final five games are at Lambeau Field, but the Bears and the Rams might be the only bright spots on the schedule. Green Bay ends the season against the 8-3 Miami Dolphins, 9-2 Minnesota Vikings and 4-7 Detroit Lions, who lost a close contest to the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving Day, but before that won three consecutive games.
The Packers have their bye week after the Bears game, then host the Los Angeles Rams at Lambeau Field. The average lowest price on Monday was $98, up $7 from last week and $1 less than Nov. 7. The Monday night game on Dec. 19 will be the last of five nationally televised night games the Packers play this season.
When it comes to a season full of woe, the Super Bowl-defending champion Rams can match the Packers loss for loss. The Rams were defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs 26-10 Sunday, with the added indignity of head coach Sean McVay getting accidentally smacked in the face by one of his players running onto the field, leaving a purple post-game bruise on this jaw.
More:Dougherty: Packers must shut down banged-up Aaron Rodgers, see what they have in Jordan Love
More:It's expensive to be a Packers fan. A day at Lambeau is pricier than most other stadiums.
The Packers travel to Miami for a Christmas Day game. The Dolphins are an unexpected 8-3 and leading the AFC Eastern division. They defeated the hapless 1-9-1 Houston Texans on Sunday and take on the resurgent San Francisco 49ers, leaders of the NFC West, on Sunday. The average get-in price for the Christmas game was $171 on Monday, down $2 from last week. A lot of Packers fans live in Florida and flock to games in their home state, likely even on Christmas.
The Minnesota Vikings come to Green Bay on Jan. 1. The Vikings are 9-2, lead the NFC North division and are vying with the Eagles for the No.1 seed in the playoffs. The Vikings defeated the New England Patriots on Thanksgiving and face the Jets, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants before playing the Packers. Point is, the game could be important to the Packers' most-hated rival.
The get-in average on Monday was $148, up from $140 last week and $1 more than three weeks ago.
While Vikings are Packers' most hated rival and the Bears are the oldest, the Lions have the longest consecutive games streak because Green Bay and Chicago did not play during the NFL strike season in 1982. At 4-7, the Lions are a half-game ahead of the Packers in the NFC North standings, which means they, too, are not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Detroit lost to Buffalo on a late field goal on Thanksgiving.
The get-in price for the game, which will be played Jan. 7 or 8, at a time to be announced, was $48, up $2 from last week. It continues to be the lowest average price for a game at Lambeau Field in recent memory. The lowest listed price on Monday was $31. As a matter of context, face value of the least-expensive seats in the Lambeau Field bowl is $123.
Ticket prices
The following are secondary market ticket prices as of Monday.
For our look at Packers' tickets prices, we averaged the lowest ticket prices at 10 secondary market websites: Event USA, Gametime, Green Bay Ticket Service, SeatGeek, StubHub, TicketIQ, Ticketmaster, TickPick, Ticket King and Vivid Seats.
Note that ticket marketplaces can add fees on top of listed prices, so actual costs might be higher.
Some websites offer standing room only tickets for Packers home games. The Packers have designated these tickets as "not available for resale," so buyers proceed at their own risk. If the ticket does not scan as valid, fans won't be admitted to the stadium, and their recourse for a refund is to contact the seller of the ticket.
Dec. 4, noon, Chicago Bears, Soldier Field, Fox
Face-price range: N/A
Average lowest-cost seats: $173
Range of lowest-cost seats: $140-$210
Dec. 19, 7:15 p.m., Los Angeles Rams, Lambeau Field, ESPN/ABC
Face-price range: $123-$156
Average lowest-cost seats: $84
Range of lowest-cost seats: $50-$125
Dec. 25, noon, Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, Fox
Face-price range: N/A
Average lowest-cost seats: $176
Range of lowest-cost seats: $85-$222
Jan. 1, 3:25 p.m., Minnesota Vikings, Lambeau Field, CBS
Face-price range: $123-$156
Average lowest-cost seats: $148
Range of lowest-cost seats: $100-$180
Jan. 7 or Jan. 8, time to be determined, Detroit Lions, Lambeau Field, network to be determined
Face-price range: $123-$156
Average lowest-cost seats: $48
Range of lowest-cost seats: $31-$95
Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG/.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Packers ticket prices remain historically low as playoff hopes dim
