“Set up for failure”: One team faces brutal reality after 2026 NFL schedule release

The Arizona Cardinals already faced questions heading into the 2026 NFL season. Then the NFL schedule dropped recently, and things suddenly looked even rougher. Vegas sportsbooks listed the Cardinals as underdogs in all 17 games. No other NFL team landed in that spot after the full 2026 NFL schedule release.

That immediately sparked reactions across NFL circles. Fans joked about a possible 0-17 season, while others pointed to Arizona’s brutal opening stretch. The concern makes sense, too. The Cardinals do not just face tough opponents. They face them almost every week, right out of the gate.

Arizona Cardinals staring at brutal early stretch after 2026 NFL schedule release

The Arizona Cardinals open the season against the Los Angeles Chargers, who entered as 11.5-point favorites. Things do not calm down after that. Arizona then faced the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs within the first half of the season.

Several of those teams reached the playoffs last year. Others carry elite quarterbacks or top-tier defenses. Worse for Arizona, sportsbooks favored each of the Cardinals’ first 11 opponents by at least seven points after the NFL released the schedule


NFL insider Ari Meirov shared the betting lines on X shortly after the release. The post reads, “The #Cardinals are underdogs in every game this season, and they are TD-or-more underdogs in each of their first 11 games.”

Fans instantly reacted in the comments. One said, “The schedule makers set the Cardinals up for failure with that brutal schedule. I don't see a win till maybe the last 3 games.”

One user wrote, “actual 0-17 season incoming,” while another posted, “brutal schedule.”

The nonstop reactions spread quickly because the numbers looked shocking even by the rebuilding team's standards.

Still, the Arizona Cardinals believe help is on the way. The franchise selected former Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Love rushed for 2,882 yards and scored 36 touchdowns during his college career. The Cardinals want him to become the centrepiece of the offence as they reshape the roster.

The team also drafted former Miami quarterback Carson Beck in the third round. Beck now enters a quarterback competition during training camp. Arizona hopes he can eventually stabilize an offense that struggled badly last season.

Yet the larger issue remains the NFC West itself. The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams still look like contenders. Seattle improved its roster again during the offseason. That leaves the Cardinals trying to develop young talent while surviving one of the toughest schedules in the NFL.

Right now, the 2026 NFL schedule sent a clear message. The Arizona Cardinals still have a long way to go.

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