Cardinals Win Put Justin Herbert In A Spotlight Chargers Fans Hated

Accusations of biased broadcasting emerged as CBS spotlighted Madison Beer during the Chargers' upset loss, overshadowing the on-field action.

Justin Herbert’s season opener didn’t go the way the Chargers wanted, and neither did the broadcast if you were looking for a straight dose of football.

Los Angeles went into Sunday expecting to handle a shorthanded Cardinals team, but Arizona backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett had the better day by a wide margin and led his team to a 26-14 win. Herbert, who opened the year with real expectations around him, finished with a 47.2 passer rating while Brissett posted an 85.4 mark.

The game itself was enough to set off plenty of discussion, but CBS kept pulling viewers’ attention away from the action and toward Herbert’s fiancée, singer Madison Beer. The network repeatedly showed Beer during the broadcast, and the official SportsCenter account also posted a clip of her supporting Herbert with a heart emoji. Cameras later went back to her again after Herbert’s touchdown pass to Ladd McConkey.

That led to a wave of reactions online, with fans split between laughing it off and complaining that they just wanted to watch the game. “Thank you so much for the WAG content since my tiny woman brain can’t understand sports!” one fan joked.

“Omg! I just want to watch football.

Why do you keep showing her?? Am I doing it right?”

another user wrote.

“Girl knows exactly what she’s doing with that top,” a third fan added.

“So they have to show her so much? Did I do that right?” someone asked.

“He really let the Cardinals embarrass him like that in front of her,” another fan wrote, pointing to Herbert’s rough afternoon.

“Please don’t let this be another Taylor Swift bro,” someone added.

Beer and Herbert have dated since August 2025 and got engaged this past July. Their relationship has already drawn attention outside of football, including a red carpet appearance at the Pre-Grammy Gala earlier this year and a viral moment from Chargers training camp this summer.

Given the way Sunday played out, and the amount of attention Beer already gets during Chargers games, this probably won’t be the last broadcast where the stands end up sharing the spotlight.

In Other News...

Former Cardinals Pick BJ Ojulari Just Got Another NFL Chance

BJ Ojulari is getting another shot in the NFL, this time with the Jacksonville Jaguars after a stop in Arizona that never really got off the ground. The former Cardinals outside linebacker arrived as a second-round pick in 2023, but a knee injury quickly derailed his momentum and kept him from establishing the kind of role the team had envisioned for him.

Now the Jaguars are taking a chance on a player whose talent still made him worth a look after Arizona moved on from him before the 2024 season. Jacksonville appears to be adding him in response to an edge-rush need after Week 1, giving Ojulari a fresh path to prove he can still carve out a place in an NFL pass rush. [Read more 🡒]

Cardinals Get An Early Edge As Seahawks QB Situation Shifts

Sam Darnolds unexpected injury has already added an early wrinkle to the NFC West race, and it lands right in the Cardinals path. Seattles quarterback was hurt on a soft-tissue glute injury in Week 1 and is expected to sit out at least the Week 2 meeting with Arizona, shifting the pressure onto the Seahawks before the division schedule has really gotten rolling.

Mike Garafolo has suggested the recovery could stretch toward four weeks, though Seattle may choose to move carefully with its starter rather than rush him back. For now, Drew Lock is lined up to take over, giving Arizona a chance to face a different look under center in a game that could matter early in the division standings. [Read more 🡒]

Mike LaFleur Just Put Trey McBride In Rare Company

Mike LaFleurs first win as a head coach gave him plenty to talk about, but he also made sure to single out one of the Cardinals most important offensive pieces. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, LaFleur praised Trey McBrides mental and physical toughness, his ball skills and the way he leads, painting a picture of a tight end who already does plenty of heavy lifting for Arizona and still has more room to grow.

LaFleur went a step further by comparing McBrides ability to control the pace of a play to Luka Doncic, which is rare company for any pass catcher. The bigger takeaway for the Cardinals is what came next: LaFleur said McBride is still improving, a reminder that Arizona may be watching its top tight end enter the kind of stretch where the ceiling keeps creeping higher. [Read more 🡒]