Updated: 5:30 p.m.
Since the Bengals jump-started Brett Favre's career, maybe the NFL thought it fitting that they should be the Packers' first foe of the post-Favre era.
The league pitted the two clubs in the first Monday night game of the season in a preseason opener set for 8 p.m. Aug. 11 at Lambeau Field and the Bengals' first trip to Green Bay since Favre beat them with three touchdown passes, 24-10, on Dec. 3, 1995.
The regular-season schedule figures to be released in about two weeks.
After the Bengals play the NFC North champs for the second time in three years on a Monday night in the preseason, they play the next two weekends at Paul Brown Stadium against the Lions and Saints and finish the preseason in Indianapolis at the Colts' new stadium the weekend of Aug. 29-31.
Exact dates for the last three games are to be released later. With the Reds also in town the weekend of Aug. 15-17, the Bengals could be looking at a Sunday night game against Detroit. Last year, the Saints came a few days early to PBS to practice before they beat the Bengals, 27-19 on Aug. 18.
"As the draft approaches and we get the preseason schedule, it's exciting to be getting closer to football again," said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis in a news release. "The opportunity to open with a national game in one of the NFL's most historic places should provide a great charge for our team."
When the Bengals hosted the Packers on Monday night in 2006, it turned out to be one of the most memorable moments in Bengals history. It was quarterback Carson Palmer's first game from reconstructive knee surgery and he engineered a 48-17 win with 140 yards on 9-of-14 passing for three touchdowns.
Until he retired last month as the NFL's all-time touchdown passer, Favre never missed a game after coming off the bench to lead a comeback victory over the Bengals in 1992.
The Bengals were also on Monday night last preseason, a 24-19 loss in Atlanta.
