The Arizona Cardinals will kick off the Mike LaFleur era against the Los Angeles Chargers. The team will travel to SoFi Stadium to take on the Chargers, who were a playoff team in 2025.
Running back Jeremiyah Love is expected to make his Cardinals regular-season debut. The former No. 3 overall pick will be under the microscope, as Arizona tries to pull off a monumental upset.
Three Cardinals have been ruled out for the game. They’ll be without Isaiah Adams, Garrett Williams, and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson.
Arizona Cardinals Week 1 vs. Chargers Game-Time Information
Date: September 13, 2026
Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
Kickoff: 4:25 p.m. ET (1:25 p.m. MST)
Uniforms: White helmets, white jerseys, white pants
TV Broadcast: CBS will send its No. 3 crew for the Cardinals vs. Chargers game. Kevin Harlan has play-by-play, Trent Green for commentary, and Melanie Collins as the sideline reporter.
Radio Broadcast: Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (Phoenix). JP Shadrick will make his Cardinals regular-season debut on play-by-play with former offensive lineman A.Q. Shipley as the analyst. Dani Sureck will be the sideline reporter. Pre-game coverage will begin at 10:00 a.m. MST, or 3 hours before kickoff.
Fans can check where to go to catch the game at arizonacardinals.com/broadcast.
Make sure to check out Heavy on AZ Cardinals for more coverage of the Cardinals’ Week 1 game against the Chargers.
Cardinals vs. Chargers: What to Watch For
This game will be the first glimpse of what Mike LaFleur has in store. The Cardinals will have their hands full against Justin Herbert and an explosive Chargers offense. But given the team’s status across the league, it serves as an opportunity to make a loud statement in Week 1.
RBs Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier Make Cardinals Debut
Love is expected to make his Cardinals regular-season debut. The rookie had been dealing with a high ankle sprain suffered in the preseason. However, he’ll return on the lower end of his expected recovery time.
The story about this running back room is not who starts, but how they divvy up the snaps. Allgeier projects as an early-down bruiser, while Love will take on more of a third-down back role.
Pass Rush vs. Justin Herbert
The easiest way to make a statement is by getting to Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert and making his day uncomfortable. They’ll need Josh Sweat, Walter Nolen, and the rest of the pass rush to get to Herbert. A big day from Sweat and Nolen could increase the Cardinals’ margin of error on offense.
Starting Offense Takes the Field
The Cardinals’ entire starting offense played a total of one snap in the preseason. It will be an opportunity for Jacoby Brissett and a skilled group of pass catchers to show the league what they’ve got.
Brissett will be throwing to Trey McBride, the NFL’s top tight end, along with Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, and Kendrick Bourne. It will be interesting to see how LaFleur calls this offense, with actual game planning.
Arizona Cardinals Game 1 vs. Chargers: Date, Time, How to Watch