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The waiting game is over. The Arizona Cardinals’ 2026 schedule is out, and boy is it a gauntlet.
Already ranked as one of the toughest schedules before Thursday’s reveal, first-year head coach Mike LaFleur’s 2026 calendar is filled with plenty of twists, turns and title contenders.
A look at the biggest takeaways from Arizona’s regular-season schedule:
A steep uphill climb from the jump
Arizona may have a last-place schedule, but it feels more like a first-place gauntlet.
Based on last year’s win totals, the Cardinals sport the third-toughest schedule in the league.
And a lot of those problem areas for Arizona come right out of the gates.
Across the first seven weeks, the Cardinals face opponents with projected win totals of at least 9.5 games in all but one — the New York Giants (7.5) in Week 4.
The toughest draws early on include all three NFC West foes, with a smattering of the Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos.
Want to go a step further? The Cardinals open up the season with six road games across their first nine games. And for the fourth straight year, Arizona opens up on the road.
No rest for the wicked
Getting a bye week closer to the middle of the season could have really benefited the Cardinals. It could have given LaFleur a bigger sample size to implement tweaks to the system, while potentially giving rookie quarterback Carson Beck an extended ramp-up period before taking the starting reins.
And that’s before mentioning Arizona has an additional preseason game this season (Hall of Fame Game), only adding to season’s length.
Instead, Arizona gets the latest bye possible in Week 14. Out of the bye, that leaves just four games left in the regular season.
The only other times the Cardinals have had this late of a bye in the past was in 1991 and 2023.
For what it’s worth, Arizona posted four wins in each of those seasons.
Announcer voice: Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!
After getting shut out of any international games, the Cardinals were one of five teams kept off the primetime slate entirely. The New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders round out the group.
That means a whole lot of Sundays!
The only game that could fall on a different day currently is the Cardinals’ Week 18 tilt against the San Francisco 49ers.
But even then, it’s Saturday or Sunday.
Playing meteorologist
You never know with weather but based on where Arizona’s open-air games fall on the schedule, it may have avoided the worst of it.
Getting their trip to New York out of the way in Week 4 is a big plus for the Cardinals. And although games in Seattle, Kansas City and Washington fall in the back half of the schedule, all fall before December hits.
A small win in an otherwise brutal schedule.
The home stretch
On the flip side of starting out the season on the road more often than not, the Cardinals get a late-season reprieve with six of their final eight games at home.
Arizona has just one road game across the final seven weeks of the season.
Confidence builders
On top of those home tilts, the Cardinals also get a lengthy break from playoff contenders with three straight games against the Jets (Week 15), New Orleans Saints (Week 16) and Las Vegas Raiders (Week 17). New Orleans has the highest projected win total at 7.5 games. The others sit at 5.5.
For a team with low expectations, this is a stretch it could potentially capitalize on, especially if and when Beck is running the show.
Knowing two of those games (Jets and Raiders) will be played at State Farm Stadium only adds to that thinking.
As for wrapping up against the 49ers in Week 18, that’s another story.
The full NFL schedule doesn’t officially drop until 5 p.m. MST on Thursday, but that hasn’t stopped the leaks from pouring in.
It was a relatively quiet morning for the Arizona Cardinals compared to a lot of the other teams in the league.
A running list at the latest reports regarding the Cardinals’ 2026 regular season schedule:
For a fourth-straight season, Arizona will reportedly open up the year on the road.
This time, it’ll travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers, based on process of elimination through the official international game schedule and multiple reports around the league.
Of Arizona’s opponents, San Francisco, Los Angeles (Rams), Dallas, New York (Giants), Denver, Kansas City and Seattle are all on the primetime slate in Week 1.
Other reports indicate the New York Jets will take on the Tennessee Titans, and the Las Vegas Raiders will face the Miami Dolphins in their respective season openers. The Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders are expected to square up, while the New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions will go at.
That leaves the Chargers are the last team standing for Arizona’s Week 1 tilt.
Los Angeles has made the playoffs in each of the past two season under head coach Jim Harbaugh. It has posted back-to-back 11-6 records.
Arizona’s first schedule leak has the franchise heading to New York in Week 4 for a game against the Giants.
After floundering at 3-14 and 4-13 the past two seasons, respectively, New York swung big and landed on head coach John Harbaugh to turn things around.
And yes, running back Cam Skattebo is still on the roster for any inquiring Arizona State fans.
A look at the opponents Arizona faces in 2026:
Home
– San Francisco 49ers
– Los Angeles Rams
– Seattle Seahawks
– Philadelphia Eagles
– Washington Commanders
– Denver Broncos
– Las Vegas Raiders
– New York Jets
– Detroit Lions
Away
– San Francisco 49ers
– Los Angeles Rams
– Seattle Seahawks
– Dallas Cowboys
– New York Giants
– Kansas City Chiefs
– Los Angeles Chargers
– New Orleans Saints
The NFL schedule reveal will take place at 5 p.m. MST and can be watched on ESPN and the NFL Network.
The Arizona Cardinals signed undrafted rookie free agent Stephen Dix Jr. on Thursday.
He marks the eighth UDFA Arizona has brought in this offseason following a batch of signings soon after the 2026 NFL Draft.
Dix will wear No. 48.
The 6-foot-2, 231-pound linebacker spent the past two seasons at Arkansas after stints at Florida State (2020-21) and Marshall (2023). He missed the 2022 season due to injury.
Last year for the Razorbacks (12 games), Dix recorded 79 tackles (four for loss) and one sack.
Dix now joins an inside linebackers room led by Mack Wilson Sr., Cody Simon and Jack Gibbens are next in line as starting candidates, followed by Owen Pappoe. Austin Keys and 2026 sixth-round pick Karson Sharar round out the room.
Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Chase Bisontis signed his four-year rookie contract on Wednesday.
Officially an AZ Cardinal 🤝@CBisontis | #BirdGang pic.twitter.com/ICh1kzogKk
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) May 13, 2026
The news comes after Arizona wrapped up its rookie minicamp last week.
Bisontis was drafted with the No. 34 overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft after spending three seasons at Texas A&M.
He started 36 games and played both left guard and right tackle for the Aggies.
Bisontis is expected to be in the mix to start at guard as a rookie but also has the versatility to kick outside if need be.
“I’m really attacking it from center out,” Bisontis said Monday. “Because if something goes wrong, I want to be that guy. To know all five, even the tight end and running back, their responsibilities, will be helpful.”
“I’m just ready to do whatever,” the rookie added. “Whatever gets me on the field, whatever helps the team and myself.”
With Bisontis putting pen to paper on Wednesday, two Arizona rookies remain unsigned:
– QB Carson Beck (third round)
– DL Kaleb Proctor (fourth round)
Both Beck and Proctor took part in rookie minicamp last week.
The second annual Cardinals Climb at State Farm Stadium is set for Feb. 20, 2027.
It is focused on raising funds for “organizations leading innovative and transformative work to assist individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
The inaugural event this past February raised more than $2 million with more than 3,500 individuals participating across 200 teams. The money raised was spread out across 60 different special needs organizations.
.@Burnsy987 and @Tdrake4sports took down the advanced trail at Cardinals Climb today.
They recapped the event at State Farm Stadium ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/BZo9SV6iR8
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) February 21, 2026
Among the organizations which benefitted from the climb included Barrow Neurological Foundation, SARRC (Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center), Special Olympics Arizona and Treasure House.
Those participating in the climb can choose from multiple hiking trails set up throughout State Farm Stadium. Each has a different level of difficulty.
That’s a wrap for Cardinals Climb.
A great event for a great cause (even if my legs are now jello). pic.twitter.com/4SO41FcQh1
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) February 21, 2026
The climb then ends at the 50-yard line before an afterparty gets underway on the Great Lawn.
