Arizona Cardinals' 2024 NFL Schedule: Release date, opponents, biggest games, and predictions

The Arizona Cardinals' offseason is in full swing now that the NFL Draft and free agency are out of the way. From this point on, it's all about making the 90-man roster as good as it can be via OTAs, workouts, and training camp.

One key offseason aspect is hurling itself towards us over the coming weeks, as well, and that's the NFL's schedule release. We already know the Cardinals' 2024 opponents, but when and where they play the opposition is far more valuable then simply knowing who they play.

So, let's not waste any more time and go over everything we currently know about the Cardinals' 2024 schedule, and more.

Cardinals' Schedule Release Date

The NFL teased during the draft that schedules will be released in May, although it didn't give us an exact date. Based off the last couple of years, however, it should come out around the middle of May, as it was released on May 12 in 2022 and May 11 in 2023.

Once that comes out, we will update this with the Cardinals' exact schedule.

Home and Away Opponents

Games played at State Farm Stadium: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and Washington Commanders

Away games: Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks

Biggest Games on the Cardinals' 2024 Schedule

Every divisional game: The NFC West has rounded into a fiercely competitive division. All three of Arizona's divisional rivals were either in the playoffs or deep in the playoff race last season, including the NFC champion 49ers. Winning divisional games is priority No. 1.

Cardinals vs. Lions: It wasn't long ago the Lions were in the Cardinals' shoes looking to rise from the bottom of the NFC. Detroit is now a top contender in the NFL with a well-rounded roster. How Arizona fares against them at home will be a good litmus test.

Cardinals at Bills: There aren't many matchups featuring greater distances between two teams than this one. The last time they faced each other saw Deandre Hopkins make one of the greatest game-winning catches of all-time, but the Cards haven't beaten the Bills in Buffalo since 1971 when they were still the St. Louis Cardinals! This is a chance to make history and beat a perennial contender. 

Predicting Primetime Matchups and Week 1/Week 18 opponents

Which games will be primetime viewing?

After playing four primetime games in 2022, the Cardinals were given none for their 2023 slate. Kyler Murray being scheduled to play a full season should change that this year. I predict two primetime showings for Arizona, one on Thursday Night Football, and one on Monday Night Football.

Cardinals vs. Seahawks was a tightly contested matchup for most of the 2010s, but the Seahawks have come out on top the last five meetings. Divisional games usually get some attention under the lights, so this feels like the TNF matchup.

Lambeau Field under the lights is usually saved for special occasions, and a quarterback duel between Murray and Jordan Love could be very interesting. I predict Cardinals at Packers for MNF.

Who are the Week 1 and Week 18 opponents?

Division games are pretty safe bets for Week 1 and the NFL always closes the regular season with those matchups in Week 18. Arizona hasn't started a season against an NFC West rival club since 2020, so I think that changes this year against the San Francisco 49ers. The NFL strategically schedules division rivals to finish the regular season, so I'm going to say the Rams are the Week 18 opponent.

Strength of Schedule (based off Vegas win totals, not 2023 record)

Instead of ranking strength of schedule by last year's records, Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis bases his rankings on Vegas' projected win totals for the upcoming season. This methodology allows for a more accurate projection of how good teams are expected to be for the season.

At the time of this publication, Sharp hasn't updated it to reflect Vegas' updated, post-draft totals. Regardless, he has the Cardinals' SOS right in the middle as the sixteenth-easiest. The entire NFC West is near the middle of the pack, as pictured below: