The Arizona Cardinals are about to find out a lot about themselves in 2026, and the answers may come fast.
They open the season tomorrow against the Los Angeles Chargers, kicking off the first game of the Mike LaFleur era. There’s plenty of buzz around the roster, but there’s also real uncertainty and a schedule that looks brutal right out of the gate.
Before the first snap, there are five bold calls that could end up shaping the season.
The biggest one starts on the defensive side, where defensive coordinator Nick Rallis is walking into the year on a very short leash. The Cardinals explored outside replacements for him in the offseason, only to be turned down and bring him back for a fourth season. That alone says plenty.
Rallis has had a shaky track record, and Arizona didn’t make any meaningful upgrades to that unit. That puts even more pressure on a defense that already looks vulnerable.
The early schedule doesn’t help, and senior defensive coach Teryl Austin joins the staff with significant defensive coordinator experience as another voice in the room. Still, if things go the way many expect, Rallis could be in trouble before the Week 14 bye even arrives.
Offensively, though, there’s a lot more reason for optimism. LaFleur comes in with the kind of profile teams chase: a young play-caller from the Shanahan/McVay coaching tree with the chance to rise quickly if the offense clicks.
And the pieces are there. Arizona revamped the offensive line, added Jeremiyah Love to improve the rushing game, and still has Trey McBride at tight end along with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson headlining the receiver group. Jacoby Brissett doesn’t need to be a savior; the Cardinals just need him to process quickly and avoid turnovers while keeping the offense moving.
That’s why the offense may be better than the national conversation gives it credit for. Arizona may not stack wins, but it should be able to hold up its end of the bargain and move the ball with a lot of teams if the group stays healthy.
Quarterback, though, is still a major storyline. Brissett is the Week 1 starter, but with the schedule looking so difficult, plenty around the team expect a change at some point. Behind him are veteran Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck, who Arizona selected in the third round.
The Cardinals need to get Beck on the field as much as possible before making a major decision next offseason about the long-term direction of the position. That makes the two veterans more movable than usual, and the expectation is Arizona could listen on Brissett or Minshew before the Nov. 10 deadline. Unless the Cardinals are somehow leading the NFC West, it would be surprising if they didn’t seriously consider trade possibilities for a team trying to bolster its quarterback room.
That kind of move would also clear the runway for Beck while bringing back draft capital. It makes too much sense to ignore.
On defense, the name to watch is Walter Nolen. Outside of Josh Sweat, there isn’t much proven sack production on the roster, but Nolen has the tools to change that quickly.
Injuries slowed his rookie year, yet the flashes were real. He posted seven pressures and two sacks in six games last season, and now he enters with more experience and, as noted, ten pounds shaved off after cutting junk food.
With Sweat drawing attention off the edge, Nolen’s quick twitch and mix of strength and athleticism could make him a problem for offensive coordinators. If he stays healthy, he has the upside to be one of the best in the league.
And then there’s Jeremiyah Love, who may not get featured as a classic bellcow, even if the Cardinals keep saying they won’t lean on one back. That approach makes sense, but Love’s talent may eventually force the issue anyway.
He’s already looked the part in training camp and preseason, showing he can be dangerous both on the ground and as a receiver. Arizona plans to rotate its backs, but Love is so effective that he could still end up taking over the conversation late in the season.
He doesn’t need huge volume to matter. He just needs enough touches for the numbers to swing his way.
The comparison that jumps out is Bijan Robinson, who put up 1,463 scrimmage yards in his rookie season in Atlanta. Tyler Allgeier was also in that Falcons backfield before signing with Arizona this offseason. Love has the ability to match that kind of rookie impact, and if he stays healthy, the ceiling is enormous for the No. 3 overall pick.
In Other News...
Cardinals Head Into Chargers Opener With A Worrying Week 1 Problem
The Cardinals are carrying some early-season uncertainty into their opener against the Chargers after releasing their final injury report for Week 1. Arizona will be without starting right guard Isaiah Adams, slot cornerback Garrett Williams and safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, three absences that trim some depth on both sides of the ball before the first snap of the regular season.
Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love is listed as questionable, though the expectation is that he will be available. The Chargers have injury questions of their own, with cornerback Deane Leonard already ruled out and outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu still in the questionable column, but for Arizona the bigger concern is how quickly the offense and secondary can settle in while starting the year shorthanded. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Open With One Big Problem Against The Chargers
Week 1 brings a fresh start for Arizona under new head coach Mike LaFleur, but the opener against the Chargers also offers an immediate test of how much has really changed. Los Angeles comes in with a revamped offense under new coordinator Mike McDaniel and a clear priority on keeping Justin Herbert upright, while the Cardinals are trying to settle into a new direction after offseason coaching and roster moves that reshaped the feel of the team.
The bigger question for Arizona is whether the quarterback plan is stable enough to keep the offense from lagging behind early. Jacoby Brissett is at the center of that conversation, and the Cardinals cant afford a slow start if they want LaFleurs debut to feel like more than a transition game. The matchup still tilts toward the Chargers on paper, but for Arizona, the first real problem is simply proving it can handle a team with more clarity on both sides of the ball. [Read more 🡒]