The Arizona Cardinals’ 2026 schedule features 17 regular-season games, kicking off on Sunday, September 13 with a road trip to face the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
Arizona also opens the entire NFL preseason with the Hall of Fame Game on August 6 against the Carolina Panthers in Canton, Ohio a fitting tribute as Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald headlines the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
This is a defining year in the desert. New head coach Mike LaFleur takes the reins after a franchise-worst 3-14 season in 2025, and with Kyler Murray gone, a revamped roster, and the No. 3 overall draft pick already in the building, the schedule becomes a roadmap for what could be a genuine reset.
Key Takeaways
- The Cardinals open the 2026 NFL preseason with the Hall of Fame Game on August 6 vs. the Panthers in Canton, Ohio celebrating Larry Fitzgerald’s enshrinement.
- Regular season kicks off September 13 with a road game at the Los Angeles Chargers (CBS, 1:25 PM MST).
- Arizona plays nine home games and eight road games, with the bye falling in Week 14.
- The toughest stretch runs from Weeks 8–13 featuring trips to Dallas, Seattle, and Kansas City plus home dates with the Rams, Commanders, and Eagles.
- Mike LaFleur takes over as head coach after Jonathan Gannon’s firing, shifting the franchise to an offense-first philosophy.
- Kyler Murray is gone. The QB room now features Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, and third-round rookie Carson Beck.
- Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame RB, No. 3 overall pick) headlines a 2026 draft class built around upgrading the run game and offensive line.
- Six divisional games against the Seahawks, 49ers, and Rams are loaded into the schedule early five of six come before Week 11.
Here’s the complete breakdown of every game, the toughest stretches, and what to watch for at State Farm Stadium this fall.
Arizona Cardinals 2026 Regular Season Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Time (MST) | TV | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun, Sep 13 | Los Angeles Chargers | Away | 1:25 PM | CBS | SoFi Stadium |
| 2 | Sun, Sep 20 | Seattle Seahawks | Home | 1:25 PM | FOX | State Farm Stadium |
| 3 | Sun, Sep 27 | San Francisco 49ers | Away | 1:05 PM | FOX | Levi’s Stadium |
| 4 | Sun, Oct 4 | New York Giants | Away | 10:00 AM | CBS | MetLife Stadium |
| 5 | Sun, Oct 11 | Detroit Lions | Home | 1:25 PM | FOX | State Farm Stadium |
| 6 | Sun, Oct 18 | Los Angeles Rams | Away | 1:05 PM | FOX | SoFi Stadium |
| 7 | Sun, Oct 25 | Denver Broncos | Home | 1:05 PM | CBS | State Farm Stadium |
| 8 | Sun, Nov 1 | Dallas Cowboys | Away | 11:00 AM | FOX | AT&T Stadium |
| 9 | Sun, Nov 8 | Seattle Seahawks | Away | 2:25 PM | FOX | Lumen Field |
| 10 | Sun, Nov 15 | Los Angeles Rams | Home | 2:05 PM | CBS | State Farm Stadium |
| 11 | Sun, Nov 22 | Kansas City Chiefs | Away | 11:00 AM | CBS | GEHA Field at Arrowhead |
| 12 | Sun, Nov 29 | Washington Commanders | Home | 2:25 PM | FOX | State Farm Stadium |
| 13 | Sun, Dec 6 | Philadelphia Eagles | Home | 2:05 PM | FOX | State Farm Stadium |
| 14 | — | BYE WEEK | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | Sun, Dec 20 | New York Jets | Home | 2:05 PM | FOX | State Farm Stadium |
| 16 | Sun, Dec 27 | New Orleans Saints | Away | 11:00 AM | FOX | Caesars Superdome |
| 17 | Sun, Jan 3 | Las Vegas Raiders | Home | 2:05 PM | CBS | State Farm Stadium |
| 18 | TBD | San Francisco 49ers | Home | TBD | TBD | State Farm Stadium |
Schedule data per AZCardinals.com. Week 18 date and time to be announced by the NFL later in the season.
Arizona plays nine home games and eight road games this season. The bye falls in Week 14, giving the Cardinals a mid-December breather before the final four-game push.
Arizona Cardinals 2026 Preseason Schedule
Before the regular season begins, the Cardinals have three preseason matchups headlined by a trip to Canton.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Time (MST) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOF Game | Thu, Aug 6 | Carolina Panthers | Neutral | 5:00 PM | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium |
| Pre Wk 1 | TBD | Las Vegas Raiders | Away | TBD | Allegiant Stadium |
| Pre Wk 2 | TBD | Dallas Cowboys | Home | TBD | State Farm Stadium |
| Pre Wk 3 | TBD | Green Bay Packers | Away | TBD | Lambeau Field |
Hall of Fame Game broadcast on NBC/Peacock at 8:00 PM ET.
The Hall of Fame Game carries extra significance this year. Larry Fitzgerald, the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards, will be enshrined alongside Carolina’s Luke Kuechly, plus Drew Brees, Roger Craig, and Adam Vinatieri. It’ll be Mike LaFleur’s first game even if it’s just a glorified scrimmage on the Cardinals’ sideline.
NFC West Gauntlet: Six Divisional Games
The Cardinals face each NFC West rival twice, as always, and the division games are spread across the full 18-week slate.
| Opponent | Game 1 | Game 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks | Week 2 (Home) | Week 9 (Away) |
| San Francisco 49ers | Week 3 (Away) | Week 18 (Home) |
| Los Angeles Rams | Week 6 (Away) | Week 10 (Home) |
The early-season NFC West stretch is brutal. Arizona opens divisional play in Week 2 against Seattle at home, then travels to Levi’s Stadium to face the 49ers in Week 3.
By Week 10, the Cardinals will have already played five of their six divisional games. That compressed timeline means slow starts against division rivals could bury this team before December even arrives.
I think this early clustering is actually a double-edged sword for LaFleur’s squad. If they can steal a couple divisional wins while opponents are still figuring things out, the second half opens up considerably.
But if this roster isn’t ready to jump? The NFC West won’t wait around all three rivals made the playoffs last year.
Toughest Stretch on the Schedule
Look at Weeks 8 through 13. That six-game gauntlet includes trips to Dallas, Seattle, and Kansas City, sandwiched around home dates with the Rams, Commanders, and Eagles. Four of those six opponents made the 2025 playoffs.
The Week 11 matchup at Kansas City stands out. It’s a 11:00 AM MST kickoff at Arrowhead, historically one of the most difficult road environments in the league. The Cardinals haven’t beaten the Chiefs since 2018.
Then there’s the Week 13 home game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Philly reached the Super Bowl in the 2024 season and remained a contender in 2025. That’s the kind of late-November, early-December game that separates rebuilding teams from legitimately competitive ones.
Home Schedule Highlights at State Farm Stadium
Cardinals fans get some marquee matchups in Glendale this year.
| Game | Date | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| vs. Detroit Lions (Wk 5) | Oct 11 | The Lions have been among the NFC’s elite a measuring-stick game early |
| vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Wk 13) | Dec 6 | Perennial NFC contender visits the desert |
| vs. Las Vegas Raiders (Wk 17) | Jan 3 | Could carry major draft-positioning implications late |
| vs. San Francisco 49ers (Wk 18) | TBD | Season finale, division rivalry everything on the line |
The Week 5 Detroit matchup is perhaps the most exciting home game on the calendar. The Lions have established themselves as legitimate Super Bowl threats over the past two seasons, and that game will draw a national audience regardless of Arizona’s record. On top of that, the Week 12 Commanders game brings Jayden Daniels the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year to State Farm Stadium.
What’s Different About This Cardinals Team in 2026
This isn’t a cosmetic rebuild. The Cardinals overhauled the franchise this offseason at nearly every level.
Head coach Mike LaFleur arrived from the Rams, where he served as offensive coordinator under Sean McVay for three seasons. He’s the sixth coaching product from McVay’s tree, joining names like Kevin O’Connell and Matt LaFleur (his older brother, who coaches in Green Bay). The hire signals Arizona’s pivot from Jonathan Gannon’s defense-first philosophy to an offense-driven identity.
At quarterback, the Kyler Murray era is officially over. The Cardinals released Murray on the first day of the new league year, eating $36.8 million in guaranteed money while Murray signed with the Vikings for just $1.3 million. The current quarterback room features Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, and third-round rookie Carson Beck out of Miami. Not exactly a room that inspires confidence but it’s the hand LaFleur was dealt.
The draft brought Jeremiyah Love, the explosive Notre Dame running back, at No. 3 overall the first running back taken that high since Saquon Barkley in 2018. Second-round guard Chase Bisontis from Texas A&M should slot in immediately on the offensive line. Whether Love’s dynamic playmaking ability translates to Year 1 wins is the biggest question hanging over this schedule.
Key Dates Cardinals Fans Should Circle
Here are the most important dates on Arizona’s 2026 calendar, at a glance.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Aug 6 | Hall of Fame Game vs. Panthers Larry Fitzgerald’s enshrinement weekend |
| Sep 13 | Regular season opener at Chargers Mike LaFleur’s first game that counts |
| Oct 11 | Lions come to Glendale first real measuring-stick game |
| Nov 22 | At Kansas City toughest road game on the slate |
| Dec 6 | Eagles at home late-season test under the lights |
| Week 14 | Bye week rest before the final push |
| Jan 3 | Home finale vs. Raiders potential spoiler or playoff-push game |
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Conclusion: The 2026 Schedule Gives Arizona a Clean Slate, But the NFC West Won’t Be Forgiving
The Cardinals enter 2026 with the most significant roster and coaching overhaul the franchise has undertaken since moving to Arizona.
A 17-game regular season that opens on the road against the Chargers and closes at home against San Francisco bookends a year where every single game is about establishing an identity under Mike LaFleur.
The schedule itself isn’t excessively cruel, but it’s far from soft. Six games against a loaded NFC West, a mid-November trip to Arrowhead, and visits from Detroit and Philadelphia ensure this team won’t be able to hide. The Week 14 bye comes at a useful time late enough to matter for rest, early enough that the final four weeks still carry weight.
In my view, the number to watch is simple: how many of those nine home games can Arizona win? State Farm Stadium hasn’t been a fortress in years; the Cardinals went 2-6 at home in 2025.
If LaFleur can flip that script and make the desert a tough place to play again, the rest of the rebuild has a foundation. If not, well, we’ve seen this movie before. Either way, Larry Fitzgerald’s Hall of Fame weekend in Canton is going to be one heck of a way to start the season.
