The Cardinals' 2022 schedule was always going to be difficult, and for a second year in a row, it will be a playoff-experienced AFC team that awaits in the first game of the season.
Ahead of the full NFL schedule release later today, the league announced that the Cardinals will host Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 11 in the Cards' home opener Week 1.
Kickoff will be at 1:25 p.m. Arizona time and be televised on CBS.
The Raiders announced the Cardinals will be their home opener in Week 2 in Las Vegas.
The storyline of Mahomes going up against his college head coach Kliff Kingsbury was always going to be a major headline whatever week they played. It turns out it's to start the season.
The Chiefs finished 12-5 last season, winning their first two playoff games before losing to the Bengals in the AFC Championship game.
They traded away wide receiver Tyreek Hill and let safety Tyrann Mathieu leave as a free agent, but have added receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to go with Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce.
The Cardinals play the entire (and improved) AFC West this season, hosting the Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers and playing at the Denver Broncos and Raiders.
The full NFL schedule will be announced on NFL Network at 5 p.m. Arizona time (8 p.m. EST), with the Cardinals' schedule at the same time on azcardinals.com.
