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Cardinals 2026 Schedule Leaks: What We're Hearing
Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) runs after the catch against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Welcome to one of the most exciting days of the NFL offseason!

The Arizona Cardinals, along with every other team, eagerly await today's 5:00 PM AZ time release of the full 2026 regular season schedule.

With time slowly but surely ticking towards the finish line, we're beginning to hear and see various leaks of the team's schedule through social media.

The latest updates can be found here:

Cardinals Travel to Face Patrick Mahomes in Week 11

Eagles Coming to Arizona in Week 14

Cardinals at Rams in Week 6

Las Vegas Raiders Visiting Cardinals in Week 17

Cardinals Visiting Dallas Cowboys in Week 8

New York Jets Coming in Week 15

Season Ender Back at State Farm Stadium

The Cardinals will return to State Farm Stadium to host the 49ers in Week 18, according to PHNX.

Back to Back NFC West Battles

The Cardinals are on the road in Week 3 in San Francisco. This will follow Arizona's projected Week 2 matchup against the Seahawks.

Broncos Coming to Desert Week 7

The Cardinals will see former head coaching candidate Sean Payton halfway through the regular season.

Cardinals Heading to Big Easy in Week 16

The Cardinals will make their trip to New Orleans in Week 16, per reports.

Week 12: Cardinals Host Commanders

The Cardinals will host the Washington Commanders in Week 12, according to Commanders reporter JP Finlay.

Seahawks to Face Cardinals in Week 2

The Cardinals won't have to wait long to begin their NFC West battles, as they reportedly will face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 according to Corbin K. Smith.

This is believed to be a home game with new reports emerging.

Cardinals Will Face Chargers in Season Opener

We finally have our mystery solved!

The Cardinals are reportedly going to be road warriors in Week 1 and will face the Los Angeles Chargers, a short flight to Los Angeles in what will be their season opener.

Arizona last opened the season at home in 2022, so the recent trend of starting out as road warriors continues. We were really hoping for that to change on our schedule wishlist, but alas — beggars can't be choosers.

The Cardinals previously saw potential options in the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants dwindle over the course of the past week in terms of season openers.

Speaking of the Giants:

Cardinals to Play Giants in Week 4

Another road test is known for the Cardinals, as they'll be in New York in Week 4 to battle the Giants.

This game is actually the furthest they'll travel all season and is the only game they'll truly play on the other coast. All others are in the Midwest and west coast.

Not a bad break to get this road trip out of the way early, especially for an Arizona team that doesn't have to travel much to begin with.

Cardinals Have Tough Schedule Ahead

Based off projected wins for next season, the Cardinals have the toughest schedule in the NFL. When using strength of schedule from last year's winning percentage, Arizona has the third-toughest schedule in the league.

For a team with a first-year head coach and unknown quarterback situation, that's not quite great news.


This article first appeared on Arizona Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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