The Arizona Cardinals open their regular season today, and the matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers will be on CBS.
Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET, which is 1:25 p.m.
Arizona time. It’s one of the network’s two late-afternoon CBS games, with Kevin Harlan and Trent Green on the call and Melanie Collins working the sideline.
For viewers looking to stream it, the game is available on Fubo, which offers a free trial, and on Paramount+.
This is the first regular-season game for the Cardinals under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur. Arizona is coming off a 3-14 season in which it lost its final nine games and 11 of its last 12. The quarterback situation also looks different now: Kyler Murray was released, and Jacoby Brissett received a big raise to become the team’s starting quarterback in 2026.
The Chargers enter the season with momentum from consecutive playoff trips under Jim Harbaugh, though the staff around him has changed. Mike McDaniel is now the offensive coordinator after Greg Roman, and Chris O'Leary has taken over as defensive coordinator after Jesse Minter became head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
Teams will release their inactive lists 90 minutes before kickoff.
Arizona’s 2026 regular-season schedule continues with a Week 2 home game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Cardinals then go to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3, the New York Giants in Week 4, host the Detroit Lions in Week 5, travel to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6, and return home for the Denver Broncos in Week 7.
The schedule rolls on with road games at the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8 and the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9, followed by home dates with the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10 and the Washington Commanders in Week 12, plus a trip to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11.
After a bye in Week 14, Arizona hosts the New York Jets in Week 15, visits the New Orleans Saints in Week 16, welcomes the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 17, and finishes with a home game against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18 on Saturday or Sunday, Jan. 9 or 10.
In Other News...
Seahawks QB Situation Just Changed Arizonas Next NFC West Test
The Cardinals next NFC West test in Seattle just got a different look, with Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold expected to miss Week 2 because of a glute injury. Drew Lock is slated to start in his place, giving Arizona a matchup change before the division race has even settled into September.
Darnolds issue is being described as muscular rather than major, and his availability for Week 3 is still uncertain with a possible return by Week 4. For the Cardinals, that means preparing for a Seahawks offense that could look different over the next stretch, even if the QB picture is only temporarily shifted. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Optimism Is Growing But One 2026 Debate Is Just Starting
A fan confidence poll gives the Cardinals a little something they have not always had in recent years: patience. As they open the 2026 season against the Chargers, 67% of fans say the franchise is headed in the right direction, even as FanDuel Sportsbook pegs Arizona at 4.5 wins and gives the team the longest playoff odds in the league. For a team that has spent plenty of time trying to reset expectations, that split between outside skepticism and internal optimism tells you where the conversation is starting.
Walter Nolen has quickly become the fan bases favorite X-factor, which is its own sign of how much hope is being attached to the rosters next wave of talent. But the bigger debate may be less about one player than about whether the organization is finally stable enough to turn that optimism into something real, with questions still lingering around Sam Brissetts play and Nick Rallis handling of the operation. The Cardinals have a lot of believers right now, but the first few weeks will go a long way toward deciding whether that faith is justified. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Finally Get A Big Week 1 Answer On Jeremiyah Love
The Cardinals got one key Week 1 answer before heading into SoFi Stadium, with rookie running back Jeremiyah Love cleared to play after being listed as questionable because of an ankle injury. Arizona and the Chargers both released their final inactive lists for the game, and Love is now set to make his NFL debut.
Loves availability gives Arizona another option in a backfield that already includes Tyler Allgeier and Bam Knight, and the coaches had signaled he would share the workload once he was ready. For a team trying to settle its rotation early in the season, getting the rookie on the field removes at least one bit of uncertainty, even if the exact division of touches remains to be seen. [Read more 🡒]