Cardinals 2026 NFL Schedule Released for Jeremiyah Love, Mike LaFleur's 1st Year

The Arizona Cardinals haven't been to the playoffs since the 2021 season but will look to change that under new head coach Mike LaFleur.

LaFleur will have plenty of weapons in his offense, including No. 3 overall draft pick Jeremiyah Love, and will attempt to replicate the success he enjoyed as the offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams the last three seasons.

Here is a look at the schedule he will face while doing so:

Full schedule information available on the team's official website.

Analysis

There may be no such thing as an easy schedule in the NFC West with the Seattle Seahawks coming off a Super Bowl title and the Rams and San Francisco 49ers coming off playoff appearances, but that isn't the only concern for the Cardinals.

They also face the AFC West.

It is another daunting division on paper with the Denver Broncos coming off an AFC Championship Game appearance and the Los Angeles Chargers coming off a playoff appearance. That doesn't include Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, which will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 and return to the top of the sport.

Even the Las Vegas Raiders could be more challenging depending on if No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza lives up to expectations.

Fernando Mendoza highlights

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There is some reprieve for Arizona with games against the NFC East, at least if last season is any indication. The Philadelphia Eagles were the only team to finish at or above .500 in the division in 2025, so there could be some opportunities for wins in those matchups.

A last-place schedule will also help on paper with games against the Detroit Lions, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints. Yet Detroit is anything but a typical last-place team considering it went 9-8 and is just one season removed from its 15-2 mark in 2024.

There will be no shortage of challenges for the Cardinals, which could make life difficult for LaFleur in his first season at the helm.

Pivotal Matchups

Simply put, success or failure for LaFleur is going to depend on whether he can find a way to help his team perform better against its NFC West foes than it did last year.

Arizona went 0-6 in games against the Seahawks, Rams and 49ers during the 2025 campaign, which was one of the major reasons it finished in last place as the only team with fewer than 12 wins in the division.

It cannot afford to go 0-6 again if it hopes to take strides in 2026.

Even if the Cardinals find more success against their divisional opponents, they are likely not going to jump all three of them in the standings. That means the wild card could be the focus if they are going to sneak into the playoff picture.

Jeremiyah Love highlights

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With that as the backdrop, the games against the NFC East teams and Lions stand out.

Given how strong the NFC West and NFC North (all teams above .500 in 2025) could be once again in 2026, there are only so many wild-card spots to go around for the conference as a whole. That means the Cardinals cannot afford to lose many head-to-head games against the NFC East teams going for those spots if they are going to have a chance at one.

The Lions are also looking to return to the playoff picture this season, so a head-to-head result would go a long way toward a potential tiebreaker situation.

Wins in these intra-conference games could also boost the confidence of a young team with a first-year head coach heading into the offseason even if the Cardinals ultimately fall short of a playoff spot.