GLENDALE – The dream of shocking the NFL world in 2026 might be dead before it even started for the Arizona Cardinals. Thursday saw the release of next year’s schedule, and head coach Mike LaFleur won’t have it easy to start his tenure with six road games in the first nine weeks. In those road games, LaFleur will play playoff teams like the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Chargers.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Before the schedule was released, Arizona already had the third-hardest strength of schedule in the NFL for 2026. The travel and scheduling didn’t make it any easier.
Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur during rookie mini-camp practice on May 8, 2026, at the Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center in Tempe.
Full Cardinals 2026 Schedule:
The only saving grace for the franchise is the second half of the season. In the final eight weeks, the Cardinals play six home games against teams like the Washington Commanders, New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders, all teams that were top 7 in the draft order this past season. However, will fans still have interest in the team after an expected rough start to the season following a 3-14 2025, only time will tell.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck (19) huddles with his teammates during rookie mini-camp practice on May 8, 2026, at the Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center in Tempe.
LaFleur will have a tough time motivating a locker room as a first-time head coach for an expected rough season. Owner Michael Bidwill stated he wanted to compete next season, but general manager Monti Ossenfort’s move didn’t fit those words. Short-term deals for cheap veteran players is setting up for a push in 2027, with plenty of cap space, to try and win in a competitive NFC West.
Previous tenure have had similar fates, Jonathan Gannon went 4-13 in his first year and Kliff Kingsbury went 5-10-1 in his debut season. The roster has plenty of holes that will be exposed earlier on by good opponents when LaFleur is just trying to install his system fully. The first eight weeks could make or break LaFleur’s tenure as a whole, and if the team doesn’t show some fight during that stretch, his time in Arizona could be doomed already.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
