What to Expect from the Arizona Cardinals in the 2026 Season
The Arizona Cardinals entered the 2025 season hoping to build momentum in the competitive National Football League, but the year ultimately became a rebuilding campaign. Arizona finished with a 3-14 record, showing flashes of promise early before facing a long stretch of tough losses against some of the league’s strongest opponents. As the team now looks toward the 2026 season, fans will remember the lessons of 2025 and the rivalries that continue to shape the Cardinals’ future schedule.
The Cardinals opened the year on a positive note with back-to-back wins on the road against the New Orleans Saints and at home versus the Carolina Panthers, giving Arizona an encouraging 2-0 start. Those early victories suggested the team could compete, especially with strong defensive efforts and close finishes. However, the momentum quickly shifted as the Cardinals entered a challenging stretch of games, beginning with a narrow one-point loss to the division rival San Francisco 49ers and a Thursday night defeat to the Seattle Seahawks.
Throughout the middle of the season, Arizona battled competitive teams such as the Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, and Green Bay Packers, but several close losses kept the Cardinals from gaining traction in the standings. One of the season’s highlights came on Monday Night Football, when Arizona stunned the Dallas Cowboys on the road with a 27-17 victory at AT&T Stadium. That primetime win served as a reminder that the Cardinals could compete with top teams when playing at their best.
The second half of the season proved more difficult, especially in the rugged NFC West. Arizona faced multiple tough divisional matchups, including losses to the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Rams, all of whom remain key rivals the Cardinals will face twice every season. The Cardinals also lost competitive games against teams such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons, and Cincinnati Bengals as the season progressed.
Despite the difficult record, the 2025 campaign helped shape the team’s identity and highlighted the rivalries that define Arizona football. Matchups against NFC West opponents-the 49ers, Seahawks, and Rams- remain the most important battles on the Cardinals’ schedule each season, and those games will again play a major role in the 2026 Arizona Cardinals schedule. With lessons learned from a challenging year, the Cardinals and their fans now turn their attention to the upcoming season, hoping for improvement, stronger divisional performances, and a return to playoff contention.