The Cardinals will start the Jonathan Gannon era in Washington with a familiar NFC East foe for the new head coach, but won't get the reunion in Philadelphia until New Year's Eve.
And no, the Cardinals, for the first time since 2011, won't have any primetime games.
The 2023 schedule has been released, with the Cardinals playing on Sunday afternoon in each of their 17 games. Ranked as the 11th hardest-schedule in the league based on 2022 (a .519 opposing winning percentage), the first three games are all against their former brethren of the NFC East, with the home opener against the Giants in Week 2 and a visit by the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3.
There could be weather, with December trips to Pittsburgh and Chicago as well as Philly.
A look at the full 2023 schedule:
WEEK 1
Sept. 10 CARDINALS at COMMANDERS 10 a.m. (FOX)
We will see who actually owns the Commanders by the time this game happens, but a bigger question may be how defensive end Chase Young is performing. Like Isaiah Simmons a member of the 2020 draft class, Young like Simmons also had his fifth-year option declined. In Young's case, it's injury issues that have caused the reticence. Young had one good season; will he become the pass-rushing beast he did in his one excellent season? And at this point, what role is Simmons playing in the Cardinals' defense, going against an inexperienced QB in Sam Howell?
WEEK 2
Sept. 17 GIANTS at CARDINALS 1:05 p.m. (FOX)
Brothers battle all the time growing up. Why not on the field? Well, kind of, since both Cardinals' second-round pick B.J. Ojulari and Giants vet Azeez Ojulari are linebackers. Although it will be interesting to see how much of an impact Ojulari the younger is having on the Cardinals' defense at this point in the season. "I'm real excited," the B.J. Olujari siad. "The whole family has already talked about that game. I haven't played on the same field as him in a long time." The last time the Cardinals saw Giants QB Daniel Jones they sacked him six times (and then-Giants backup Colt McCoy(!) twice). The Cards have also beaten the Giants in their last four meetings.
WEEK 3
Sept. 24 COWBOYS at CARDINALS 1:25 p.m. (FOX)
The Cowboys game is something special -- understandably -- for Kyler Murray, being a Texas kid and all. Whether Murray plays in this game and attempt to go 3-0 against Dallas in his career may not happen, but then again, there are other Texas QB options like Colt McCoy, David Blough or even rookie Clayton Tune who could get a chance to play.The Cowboys are coming off a 12-win season, but they also went through significant roster changes in the offseason.
WEEK 4
Oct. 1 CARDINALS at 49ERS 1:25 p.m. (FOX)
Sure the Cardinals are waiting for Kyler Murray's return, but the 49ers -- who have an excellent, Super Bowl-type roster otherwise -- are also waiting to see who their QB will be. Brock Purdy may or may not be able to return, and if he does, can he retain the magic that made him the story of the NFL the back half of 2022? Is Sam Darnold a guy who can flourish under Kyle Shanahan? What exactly is going to happen with Trey Lance? This is also the first time Steve Wilks, now the 49ers defensive coordinator, gets to coach against the Cardinals within the division.
WEEK 5
Oct. 8 BENGALS at CARDINALS 1:05 p.m. (FOX)
A year after Kyler was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Joe Burrow was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Like Murray, Burrow has also suffered an ACL tear since getting to the league, and the Cardinals hope Murray's post-ACL play reaches the same level as the Bengals' signal-caller -- whenever Kyler does return to the field. The Bengals are one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl out of the AFC; there is also a chance of legacy Cardinal Kwamie Lassiter II, a wideout in Cincinnati, playing against his father's former team.
WEEK 6
Oct. 15 CARDINALS at RAMS 1:25 p.m. (FOX)
For all the changes the Cardinals have been through this offseason, the Rams have been through many as well. Yes, Matthew Stafford is still the QB, yes Cooper Kupp is the star receiver, and yes, Aaron Donald is still the monster he always has been to anchor the defense. But Jalen Ramsey is gone, there are questions on the offensive line, and the Rams brought it an astounding 40 rookies through the draft (14) and undrafted class (26!) just to fill out the offseason roster. The two games between these teams will be fascinating to watch as they each reset in their own ways.
WEEK 7
Oct. 22 CARDINALS at SEAHAWKS 1:05 p.m. (FOX)
After all the draft speculation, the Seahawks a) did not get Will Anderson; b) did not draft pass rusher Tyree Wilson; and c) did not take a QB. They did get cornerback Devon Witherspoon, another piece for the secondary as coach Pete Carroll tries to rebuild his back end as strong as the Legion of Boom days. Geno Smith had a storybook season as Seattle's starter and got his contract extension. Now comes the attempt to follow it up and see if the Seahawks have created what Carroll had once during Seattle's Super Bowl days.
WEEK 8
Oct. 29 RAVENS at CARDINALS 1:25 p.m. (CBS)
Hollywood Brown revenge game. Kind of. Brown wanted to be moved and he was able to come play with his best friend at QB in the desert. But Brown and Lamar Jackson are tight too, and Brown will be hoping to show the Ravens they should've just kept him and not have to have signed Odell Beckham Jr., who becomes Jackson's WR1 after missing a season with another ACL injury. What will also be interesting is what DeAndre Hopkins might do in this game (assuming he is still a Cardinal) since Hop was a potential Ravens target to add to Jackson before Beckham became reality.
WEEK 9
Nov. 5 CARDINALS at BROWNS 11 a.m. (CBS)
The last time the Cardinals were in Cleveland may have been the zenith of the Cardinals' magical 2021 start, when Kliff Kingsbury got COVID on Friday and the Cardinals were forced to scramble with playcalling and yet played well offensively and defensively in staying undefeated. A lot has changed. The Cardinals have a new staff. Kyler Murray may or may not be playing QB for the Cardinals but the Browns definitely don't have Baker Mayfield. The Deshaun Watson saga continues instead for Cleveland, and maybe he'll see his former teammate, DeAndre Hopkins.
WEEK 10
Nov. 12 FALCONS at CARDINALS 2:05 p.m. (CBS)
The Falcons are in a similar spot as the Cardinals in terms of building the organization; last season, the Cards lost on a final-play field goal in Atlanta in QB David Blough's first start for Arizona. The Falcons spent their first round pick, eighth overall, on Tucson native and Texas running back Bijan Robinson. They are going to be a team that leans heavily on Robinson, who is expected to be a back that is special, like a Derrick Henry, and has had comparisons to Saquon Barkley and even Barry Sanders. They are a team expected, with young QB Desmond Ridder, to lean heavy on the run. Nick Rallis' defense will have to be ready for it.
WEEK 11
Nov. 19 CARDINALS at TEXANS 11 a.m. (CBS)
It's the game the Cardinals can't lose, at least when it comes to draft position. Since the Cardinals own both their own and the Texans' top draft pick, however this game ends GM Monti Ossenfort benefits. During the game, it's always interesting to see a young quarterback -- in this case, rookie C.J. Stroud -- in his development, and yes, the Cardinals get to see what might have been by playing against Will Anderson. Maybe even against their own first-round pick, offensive lineman Paris Johnson.
WEEK 12
Nov. 26 RAMS at CARDINALS 2:05 p.m. (FOX)
Aaron Donald has always been a pain for the Cardinals. Will, by this point in the season, rookies like Paris Johnson and/or Jon Gaines II be in the lineup to potentially get a taste of what it's like to play against such a player. Can they block for running back James Conner, who has six touchdowns against the Rams in the last four meetings?
WEEK 13
Dec. 3 CARDINALS at STEELERS 11 a.m. (CBS)
It's another chance for the Cardinals to play Patrick Peterson, who has appeared on the Cards' schedule now all three seasons after leaving as a free agent. It's the rubber match, after Peterson's Vikings split with the Cardinals the last two years. Peterson was in the game the last time the Cardinals visited Pittsburgh too. That was 2015, the backend of a week spent in West Virginia coming with a loss to the Steelers and a loss to third-string QB Landry Jones. That Cardinals' team rallied hard to go on a winning streak and eventually reach the NFC Championship game. Ben Roethlisberger didn't play then -- he was hurt -- and he's gone for good now, Kenny Pickett now the QB running a run-heavy, defensively strong team that is always in the playoff hunt.
WEEK 14
BYE WEEK
After a Week 13 bye last season, the Cardinals have an even later break midway through the final month. A December bye seems so late in the year, with the Cardinals only having four games left on the schedule
WEEK 15
Dec. 17 49ERS at CARDINALS 2:05 p.m. (CBS)
Assuming Kyler Murray is back by this game, it's another chance to see the No. 1 pick in 2019 against the No. 2 pick, San Francisco's defensive end Nick Bosa. The debate between such players is always an interesting one; there was similar talk this year about C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson (so, of course, the Texans traded with the Cardinals to get both.) If a team doesn't have a QB, it's almost always better to take the swing at the quarterback though. The 49ers might have their guy with Purdy, but if not, it's tough to win titles, Bosa's greatness notwithstanding.
WEEK 16
Dec. 24 CARDINALS at BEARS 2:25 p.m. (FOX)
Merry Christmas -- it's the holidays in the Windy City. What might have been? Had the Bears not traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers, the Panthers were talking with the Cardinals for potentially dealing for their No. 3 pick, and maybe all that Monti magic would have played out differently. Instead, the Cards made the trade with the Texans and the Bears got their haul from Carolina, since they already had their franchise QB in Justin Fields. Fields is in a similar situation as Kyler Murray -- an ultra-talented QB who still is looking to take that permanent leap to undisputed 10-year starter.
WEEK 17
Dec. 31 CARDINALS at EAGLES 11 a.m. (FOX)
The Eagles are the defending NFC champions, but let's face it -- this game will be about Jonathan Gannon returning to Philadelphia, a story unto itself and flavored heavily by the strong feelings of the fan base there of Gannon's tenure. What will Gannon's (and Nick Rallis, another ex-Eagle) defense look like against newly paid Jalen Hurts? What will Philly's defense look like without Gannon in charge? What will Gannon's reception from the fans be like? It's New Year's Eve, so I'm sure the fans won't be partying ahead of time, knowing they have Monday off.
WEEK 18
Jan. 6 or 7 SEAHAWKS at CARDINALS TBD (TBD)
This game could either be on Saturday or Sunday, depending on what games could be moved by the league for the Saturday high-profile slot. The question is whether the Seahawks -- or the Cards, for that matter -- will still have something to play for. Last season the Cardinals felt they let one get away at home against the Seahawks. The Cardinals haven't always had great success at home against the Seahawks, although they have done well in Seattle.
PRESEASON OPPONENTS SET
WEEK 1 Aug. 11 BRONCOS at CARDINALS 7 p.m. (KPNX (Ch. 12)
WEEK 2 Aug. 19 CHIEFS at CARDINALS 5 p.m. (KPNX Ch. 12)
WEEK 3 Aug. 26 CARDINALS at VIKINGS 10 a.m. (KPNX Ch. 12)
