Cardinals fans have heard about potential for long enough. There have been young rosters, promising stretches, exciting players and seasons where Arizona looked like it might finally be putting something together. Then 2025 ended at 3-14, Jonathan Gannon lost his job, and the organization decided that another year of trying to make the same plan work wasn’t enough.

The reset that followed was substantial. Mike LaFleur is the new head coach. Kyler Murray is gone after seven seasons. Jeremiyah Love arrived with the No. 3 overall pick. Carson Beck was drafted in the third round. Arizona isn’t simply asking last year’s team to improve. The Cardinals are trying to establish what the next version of this franchise will actually look like.

For fans, there is another question every Sunday: where is the game? Arizona’s 2026 schedule currently contains no primetime games, which means regional CBS and FOX coverage will matter considerably. If you’re outside the Cardinals television market, another game can appear on your local station even when Arizona is playing. Travel can create a different problem when a streaming service you normally use becomes restricted based on location.

Can’t find Arizona? Jump to how to watch and unblock Cardinals games

Before We Talk About 2026: How Did Arizona Get Here?

The easiest way to understand why this season feels different is to look at the direction Arizona has traveled over the past few years.

Season	Where Arizona Stood
2023	Jonathan Gannon’s first season began the roster rebuild
2024	Arizona showed signs of progress and raised expectations
2025	A season that began with optimism collapsed into a 3-14 finish
2026	Mike LaFleur takes over, Kyler Murray is gone and Arizona begins a new offensive era

The critical year was 2025. Arizona entered the season expecting to take another step forward, but injuries and inconsistency contributed to a 3-14 finish. Gannon ended his three-year tenure with a 15-36 overall record, and the Cardinals decided to change direction. LaFleur signed a five-year contract to become the new head coach, and Arizona retained Nick Rallis as defensive coordinator while bringing in Nathaniel Hackett to coordinate the offense.

Then came an even clearer indication that this wasn’t going to be a minor adjustment. Arizona released Murray in March. The former No. 1 overall pick had spent seven seasons with the Cardinals, but his final appearance for Arizona came in Week 5 of 2025 before a foot injury ended his season.

That decision effectively removed the most important constant from Arizona’s recent football identity. The Cardinals followed it by using the third overall selection not on a quarterback, but on Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, whom LaFleur said Arizona specifically wanted at that spot. Arizona then selected Miami quarterback Carson Beck with the first pick of the third round.

So when we talk about Arizona making progress in 2026, we’re no longer measuring whether the old rebuild is working. We’re measuring whether the new one has actually begun.

Arizona Cardinals 2026 Schedule and TV Guide

Arizona opens on the road against the Chargers before getting an immediate NFC West test against defending Super Bowl champion Seattle in its home opener. The Cardinals play six of their first nine games away from State Farm Stadium before the schedule flips dramatically: six of their final eight games are at home.

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (Arizona)	TV / Streaming
1	Sept. 13	at Los Angeles Chargers	1:25 PM	CBS
2	Sept. 20	vs. Seattle Seahawks	1:25 PM	FOX
3	Sept. 27	at San Francisco 49ers	1:05 PM	FOX
4	Oct. 4	at New York Giants	10:00 AM	CBS
5	Oct. 11	vs. Detroit Lions	1:25 PM	FOX
6	Oct. 18	at Los Angeles Rams	1:05 PM	FOX
7	Oct. 25	vs. Denver Broncos	1:05 PM	CBS
8	Nov. 1	at Dallas Cowboys	11:00 AM	FOX
9	Nov. 8	at Seattle Seahawks	2:25 PM	FOX
10	Nov. 15	vs. Los Angeles Rams	2:05 PM	CBS
11	Nov. 22	at Kansas City Chiefs	11:00 AM	CBS
12	Nov. 29	vs. Washington Commanders	2:25 PM	FOX
13	Dec. 6	vs. Philadelphia Eagles	2:05 PM	FOX
14	—	BYE	—	—
15	Dec. 20	vs. New York Jets	2:05 PM	FOX
16	Dec. 27	at New Orleans Saints	11:00 AM	FOX
17	Jan. 3	vs. Las Vegas Raiders	2:05 PM	CBS
18	TBD	vs. San Francisco 49ers	TBD	TBD

Arizona’s official schedule currently lists Week 18 against San Francisco without a finalized date, kickoff time or broadcaster. The Cardinals also enter the year without a scheduled primetime game, although eligible games can potentially be moved through flexible scheduling.

What Would Actually Count as Progress for Arizona?

A team coming off a 3-14 season doesn’t need to be evaluated entirely through Super Bowl-or-bust expectations. At the same time, Cardinals fans shouldn’t have to accept “we’re building something” indefinitely. There should be measurable signs that Arizona is getting somewhere.

Minimum: Look Like a Better Football Team

This is the floor. The Cardinals need to become more competitive from week to week, establish what LaFleur wants his offense to look like and identify which players belong at the center of the next roster. That might not sound ambitious, but the organization changed its head coach and quarterback situation in the same offseason. If Arizona reaches January without a clearer understanding of its identity than it has now, something has gone wrong.

Progress: Play Meaningful Football Late in the Season

This would be a legitimate step. Arizona’s schedule creates an opportunity because six of the final eight games are at State Farm Stadium, and the bye doesn’t arrive until Week 14. If the Cardinals reach December still involved in the NFC playoff conversation, the season will already feel dramatically different from 2025.

Breakthrough: Fight for a Wild Card

This is where optimism becomes results. Arizona doesn’t necessarily need to win the NFC West for 2026 to represent a breakthrough. Staying in the Wild Card picture into the final few weeks would demonstrate that LaFleur’s first season accelerated the rebuild faster than expected.

Dream Season: Make the NFC West Race Interesting

This is the hardest standard. Seattle enters as the defending Super Bowl champion, while the Rams and 49ers give Arizona a division where rebuilding quietly isn’t particularly easy. But eventually, Arizona has to stop treating its NFC West rivals as examples of where the Cardinals hope to get. The goal has to become beating them.

Arizona Can’t Move Forward Until the Quarterback Question Is Answered

The Cardinals made their biggest quarterback decision before anyone took a 2026 snap. They moved on from Kyler Murray. Murray arrived as the No. 1 overall selection in 2019, won Offensive Rookie of the Year and helped Arizona return to the playoffs during the 2021 season. But his tenure ultimately ended without the sustained success the franchise hoped would follow. Arizona officially released him when the new league year began in March.

What happens next is considerably less certain. Arizona’s quarterback room includes Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew II, Kedon Slovis and rookie Carson Beck. LaFleur entered the summer without naming a QB1, saying in June that determining the starter wasn’t his immediate concern.

That makes Beck one of the most interesting players on the roster even if he doesn’t immediately start. The Cardinals selected him 65th overall after a college career spanning Georgia and Miami. Beck started 43 collegiate games, went 37-6 as a starter and threw for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdowns during his final season at Miami while helping the Hurricanes reach the national championship game.

That experience doesn’t guarantee he’s Arizona’s future franchise quarterback. Third-round quarterbacks becoming long-term NFL starters is the exception rather than something a team can assume will happen. But Arizona needs an answer eventually.

Brissett or Minshew could provide veteran stability. Beck could develop into something considerably more important. Or the 2026 season could demonstrate that the Cardinals still need to make another major investment at quarterback. All three outcomes matter because this franchise has already made the difficult decision to leave the Murray era behind. Now it needs to discover what comes after it.

How to Watch Cardinals Games in 2026

Arizona’s schedule actually makes the basic process fairly straightforward because every currently scheduled game is on either FOX or CBS.

• Is the Cardinals game on FOX or CBS? Start with your local affiliate.
• Is another NFL game showing instead? Arizona may not be the regional game assigned to your television market.
• Are you outside the Cardinals market? Check whether the game is eligible for NFL Sunday Ticket.
• Are you traveling and a streaming service you normally use suddenly says the content isn’t available where you are? You may be dealing with a geo-restriction rather than regional NFL coverage.
• Does a game later get flexed into another broadcast window? Check Arizona’s current schedule before kickoff because eligible games can change networks or times.

The Cardinals currently have no primetime games scheduled for 2026, making regional FOX and CBS distribution particularly important for fans outside Arizona.

Why Is the Cardinals Game Blacked Out?

If you’re searching for an Arizona Cardinals blackout because you turned on FOX or CBS and found another team, there’s a good chance you aren’t dealing with a traditional blackout at all. NFL Sunday afternoon broadcasts are frequently distributed regionally. The Cardinals schedule can say FOX while your local FOX affiliate shows another game based on the broadcast map for your television market.

That distinction matters. A Cardinals game blacked out because of a location restriction is different from Arizona simply being an out-of-market game. For eligible out-of-market Sunday afternoon games, check NFL Sunday Ticket.

If you’re traveling and a streaming service you normally use specifically becomes unavailable because of your current location, you may instead be encountering a geo-restriction. That’s a situation where a VPN may potentially help. Before trying to unblock a Cardinals game, identify which problem you actually have. A VPN doesn’t replace the broadcaster carrying the game or an out-of-market package you need to watch it.

Sundays in the Desert

Arizona has one of the more interesting fan cultures in the NFL because Phoenix isn’t a city where everyone grew up supporting the same team. The Cardinals didn’t arrive in Arizona until 1988. Before that, the franchise spent decades in Chicago and then St. Louis. The Phoenix metropolitan area has also grown enormously through people arriving from other parts of the United States, and many brought their NFL loyalties with them.

That can make a Cardinals home game feel different from football in places where fandom has been passed through families for generations. A Packers fan who moves from Wisconsin to Scottsdale doesn’t necessarily stop following Green Bay. A Steelers fan relocating from Pennsylvania may still wear black and gold. The same is true of Cowboys, Bears, Vikings, Seahawks and almost every other major NFL fanbase.

The Cardinals have therefore had to build their own Arizona identity in a region filled with fans who already arrived with teams. State Farm Stadium has become the physical center of that identity. The Cardinals have played there since 2006, and the team’s supporters have increasingly developed their own traditions around football in the desert.

That makes sustained winning particularly valuable. One exciting season can create attention. A stretch of meaningful seasons creates generations of Cardinals fans who don’t need another team’s traditions handed down to them. They have their own.

The NFC West Is a Terrible Place to Rebuild

Arizona’s progress doesn’t happen on an empty field. The Cardinals have six division games every year, and the NFC West is providing a particularly unforgiving measuring stick in 2026. Seattle just won Super Bowl LX. Arizona sees the Seahawks immediately in Week 2 and again in Seattle in Week 9. The Cardinals also travel to San Francisco in Week 3 and Los Angeles in Week 6, meaning four of their first six games come against NFC West opponents. That’s a rough way for a new coaching staff to learn where it stands.

The second half gives Arizona another opportunity. The Rams visit State Farm Stadium in Week 10, and San Francisco comes to Arizona for the regular-season finale. For the Cardinals, closing the gap in the NFC West might be a better measure of progress than obsessing over one final win total. Are they more competitive against Seattle? Can they split with Los Angeles? Can the new offense hold up against familiar divisional defenses? Those are the kinds of questions that tell us whether this is becoming a competitive team rather than simply a roster accumulating young players.

How to Use ExpressVPN for Cardinals Games While Traveling

A VPN is most relevant when travel changes access to a streaming service you normally use.

For example, you may already have access to the broadcaster carrying Arizona but discover that the service handles content differently once you’re away from home. A VPN changes the IP location associated with your connection and may help when that location restriction is what’s preventing access.

We recommend ExpressVPN for sports streaming while traveling.

It doesn’t provide FOX, CBS, NFL Sunday Ticket or another required subscription. And if another NFL team is showing on your local station because Arizona is out of market, you’re dealing with regional distribution rather than something a VPN automatically fixes.

Quick Cardinals VPN Setup

1. Check which network has the Cardinals game.
2. Open ExpressVPN.
3. Connect to an appropriate server.
4. Reopen the streaming service you normally use.
5. Sign into your existing account and check the Arizona stream again.

Affiliate Disclosure: VPNForSports may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.

The Cardinals Have More History Than Most People Realize

It’s easy to think of Arizona as one of the NFL’s newer franchises. The reality is almost the exact opposite. The Cardinals trace their roots to the Morgan Athletic Club in Chicago in 1898, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame recognizes the franchise as the oldest professional football team in terms of continuous operation. The Cardinals became a charter member of the NFL’s predecessor in 1920 and won NFL championships in 1925 and 1947.

The geography changed repeatedly. Chicago Cardinals → St. Louis Cardinals → Phoenix Cardinals → Arizona Cardinals.

The franchise played in Chicago through 1959, moved to St. Louis in 1960, relocated to Arizona in 1988 and adopted the Arizona Cardinals name in 1994. Its modern Arizona history has produced some unforgettable football as well.

The 2008 Cardinals, led by Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald, won the NFC and reached Super Bowl XLIII. That postseason run remains one of the defining moments of Arizona sports, and Fitzgerald’s performance helped cement him as the player most closely associated with the franchise’s modern era.

In 2026, Fitzgerald’s legacy gets another moment in the spotlight when he is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Arizona will also participate in the Hall of Fame Game against Carolina during the preseason.

That’s a remarkable contrast. The Cardinals have roots stretching back to the earliest days of professional football, but fans in Arizona are still waiting for the sustained NFL success that would establish a lasting era of their own. The history is already there. Consistency is what’s missing.

What If I Live Outside Arizona?

Where you live can have a major impact on which Cardinals games appear on your local FOX or CBS affiliate.

Cardinals Fan in California

This can be particularly interesting because Arizona shares the NFC West with the Rams and 49ers. Depending on the week’s regional assignments, a California FOX affiliate may prioritize Los Angeles or San Francisco instead of Arizona. For an eligible out-of-market Sunday afternoon Cardinals game, check Sunday Ticket.

Cardinals Fan in Tennessee

Your local FOX or CBS station could prioritize the Titans, an NFC South matchup or another game expected to draw more regional interest. Seeing FOX listed next to Arizona’s game doesn’t guarantee the same Cardinals broadcast will appear on every FOX affiliate.

Cardinals Fan on the East Coast

The same rules apply. Regional distribution determines which Sunday afternoon matchup appears locally, and Arizona may be out of market. The time difference also matters. Many Cardinals home games occur in later Sunday windows, while some road games—including New York, Dallas, Kansas City and New Orleans in 2026—kick off earlier for fans back in Arizona.

Cardinals Fan Traveling Internationally

NFL rights vary by country, so check the official viewing options available where you’re traveling. If you’re temporarily abroad and a streaming service you normally use becomes unavailable specifically because of your location, a VPN may help with that geo-restriction. You’ll still need legitimate access to the service carrying the game.

Jeremiyah Love Gives Arizona Something New to Build Around

Quarterback might be Arizona’s biggest unanswered question, but the Cardinals already know who they want at the center of their new running game. Using the No. 3 overall pick on a running back is a major commitment in the modern NFL, and Arizona didn’t sound hesitant about making it.

Jeremiyah Love arrived from Notre Dame after rushing for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025 while averaging 6.9 yards per carry. He also caught 27 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns, won the Doak Walker Award and finished as a Heisman Trophy finalist.

His broader college numbers are even more impressive. Across his final two Notre Dame seasons, Love rushed for 2,497 yards and 35 touchdowns while adding 517 receiving yards and five more scores.

Now he enters a backfield that also includes James Conner and Tyler Allgeier, although Arizona has indicated Love will become the top option in the room. That’s important for LaFleur.

Arizona doesn’t know yet whether Beck becomes the quarterback of the future or whether a veteran starts most of 2026. What it does know is that the new offense has an explosive young runner around whom it can begin forming an identity. The Cardinals didn’t use the third pick simply because they needed another good player. They used it on someone they believe can become one of the defining players of the next Arizona offense.

Arizona Cardinals Viewing FAQ

At Some Point, the Rebuild Has to Become the Team

Rebuilding is supposed to describe a period of transition. It can’t become a permanent identity. Eventually the draft picks aren’t prospects anymore. Young players become veterans. Coaches have installed their systems. “Potential” has to turn into production, and the conversation has to shift from what a team might eventually become to what it actually is.

Arizona has made enough changes that nobody should expect the finished product immediately. LaFleur is entering his first season. Murray is gone. The starting quarterback wasn’t settled entering the summer. Love hasn’t played an NFL regular-season snap, and Beck is a third-round rookie rather than a guaranteed franchise savior.

But that’s also what makes 2026 important. There are pieces here. Love gives Arizona an explosive new centerpiece. Trey McBride has developed into one of the team’s established offensive weapons. Marvin Harrison Jr. remains part of the young receiving core. Beck gives the Cardinals a quarterback they can develop while the veterans compete for the immediate job.

The schedule will test them immediately. Six of the first nine games are on the road, four of the first six are inside the NFC West, and Seattle arrives for the home opener as the defending Super Bowl champion. Then the calendar gives Arizona a chance to show progress at home, with six of the final eight games at State Farm Stadium.

Nobody needs to call the Cardinals a contender before they’ve earned it. But after 3-14, a coaching change, the end of the Kyler Murray era and another top-three draft pick, the standard has to start moving. Cardinals fans don’t need another season that merely gives them reasons to believe in the future. In 2026, Arizona needs to start making the future look like the present.