NFL did the Cardinals a huge favor with their 2025 schedule that only five other teams have, and it has big implications down the road

That ranks second among all NFC West teams, trailing only the San Francisco 49ers, who have the easiest schedule in the entire league. That's a solid spot for the Cardinals to be in, who seem poised to take a step forward after upgrading their roster during the offseason. 

The NFL also did Arizona another solid by putting it's bye in Week 8. By doing that, the Cardinals will have a great balance of games before and after the bye, which puts them in a good position to be physically well when playoff time comes around. The Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks are the only other teams with the ideal Week 8 bye.

In 2024 the Cardinals had their bye in Week 11, which is usually viewed as too late. Interestingly enough, their bye week last season could be partially to blame for derailing their momentum. Arizona was riding a four-game winning streak before the bye, then lost three in a row and five of its last seven after the bye. 

That plummeted the Cardinals down to a third place finish in the division, as they ended up with an 8-9 record overall. They will have to find a way to avoid that happening again in 2025, as four of their final five opponents on their schedule posted winning records last season. Perhaps having the bye week in the middle of the season rather than late will more time to refocus and finish strong.