Arizona Cardinals schedule: Games, dates, TV channels, predictions for 2026 season
Jacob CamenkerThe Arizona Cardinals inspired hope by getting off to a 2-0 start to the 2025 NFL season before finishing the year by losing 14 of their final 15 games.
Their response? The Cardinals decided to separate entirely from Jonathan Gannon and Kyler Murray, firing their coach after three seasons and taking on a $53.8 million dead-cap hit over two years to part with Murray, per OverTheCap.com.
As a result, former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett will be tasked with taking the Cardinals into their new era – along with plenty of help from rookie running back Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The task won't be easy. Not only do the Cardinals play in what is arguably the most difficult division in the NFL, but they are also facing the league's hardest schedule in 2026, according to Sharp Football Analysis.
Here's what to know about the Cardinals' schedule for the 2026 NFL season.
Shop Cardinals 2026 ticketsArizona Cardinals schedule 2026
- Week 1 (Sept. 13): at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
- Week 2 (Sept. 20): vs. Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox
- Week 3 (Sept. 27): at San Francisco 49ers 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox
- Week 4 (Oct. 4): at New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
- Week 5 (Oct. 11): vs. Detroit Lions, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox
- Week 6 (Oct. 18): at Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox
- Week 7 (Oct. 25): vs. Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
- Week 8 (Nov. 1): at Dallas Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
- Week 9 (Nov. 8): at Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox
- Week 10 (Nov. 15): vs. Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
- Week 11 (Nov. 22): at Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
- Week 12 (Nov. 29): vs. Washington Commanders, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox
- Week 13 (Dec. 6): vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox
- Week 14: BYE
- Week 15 (Dec. 20): vs. New York Jets, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox
- Week 16 (Dec. 27): at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
- Week 17 (Jan. 3): vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
- Week 18 (TBD): vs. San Francisco 49ers, TBD, TBD
Cardinals record prediction 2026
Record prediction: 3-14
The Cardinals figure to be one of the NFL's worst teams in 2026, but it may be by design.
Arizona is in the midst of a full-fledged rebuild. General manager Monti Ossenfort has done a solid job improving the offensive supporting cast during the offseason, adding veterans Isaac Seumalo and Elijah Wilkinson to provide depth along the offensive line, while also adding Love to serve as a dynamic counterpart to Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson and Trey McBride.
That said, the Cardinals still lack a proven answer at quarterback. Brissett – who has a career record of 20-45 – is penciled in as the team's starter while fellow veteran Gardner Minshew and third-round rookie Carson Beck will compete for playing time.
None of those options profile as particularly strong starting quarterbacks, though Beck has a unique mix of upside and experience after playing seven college seasons at Georgia and Miami.
But even more problematic is Arizona's defense – which ranked sixth-worst in defensive EPA per play last season, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats, but didn't add much in the way of starting-level help for the unit.
Add in Arizona's extremely difficult schedule and it's hard to find the Cardinals more than a few wins.
Cardinals home opponents 2026
- Los Angeles Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Denver Broncos
- Detroit Lions
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New York Jets
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
Cardinals away opponents 2026
- Los Angeles Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Dallas Cowboys
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Los Angeles Chargers
- New Orleans Saints
- New York Giants
Super Bowl 61 odds
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