The Arizona Cardinals are two days out from opening up the 2026 regular season.
Arizona is traveling to take on the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday afternoon. The team is heading into the year with incredibly low expectations, but are bringing a talented offense into the fold at the same time.
Cardinals’ head coach Mike LaFleur is also dealing with making verdicts on key players on the roster on the injury front. The 38-year-old handed out the final verdict on three stars on Friday morning.
LaFleur Reveals Final Status of Key Cardinals
The first-year coach make a somewhat surprising move by ruling three players out ahead of the game prior to game day.
LaFleur ruled guard Isaiah Adams, safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, and cornerback Garrett Williams out in his Friday morning presser (Josh Weinfuss).
All three players are entering the year with high hopes, but are coming back from a myriad of ailments. Follow what this means for the Cardinals in week one below.
What This Means for Arizona’s Week One Game
The immediate fallout from the rulings by LaFleur impacts the offensive line the greatest. The Cardinals are already down rookie G Chase Bisontis for the year, so Adams’ absence is a major deal.
Jon Gaines II will step into the starting RG spot, which will be something to watch. The Chargers’ interior defensive line is a question mark, so this is a potential war of attrition for both sides.
Taylor-Demerson is entering the season as the backup at SS behind Budda Baker. Still, the third-year safety is strongly valued within the organization, and his absence is going to be felt.
As far as Williams is concerned, he is still recovering from a torn achilles. The fourth-year slot corner is free from the PUP list, but isn’t quite ready to make a return to action. It seems as if Arizona is moving forward with a plan of attack, as the second-year Denzel Burke is slotting into that spot with comfortability. The boundary cornerbacks are Will Johnson and Max Melton, but expect DC Nick Rallis to have more flexibility to switch things up once Williams makes a return.
The Cardinals are in the midst of the Jeremiyah Love injury saga as well. ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss confirmed on Friday that the expectation that Love will play, although LaFleur believes it will be a game-day decision.
Love, 21, is recovering from an ankle injury suffered in preseason play against the Las Vegas Raiders. Even if the talented running back is able to play, expect him to be on a pitch count. This still leaves potential for the Notre Dame alum to make a difference, without placing him in danger’s way too frequently.
Cardinals’ Game Information
The Cardinals open the 2026 season on Sunday afternoon against Justin Herbert and the Chargers. Kickoff is 1:25 P.M. MST, with the broadcast on CBS. The game can also be listened to on the radio via Arizona Sports 98.7 for those unable to watch on T.V.
Mike LaFleur Makes Final Call on Key Cardinals Players Before Week 1