👋 GOOD MORNING

Happy Thursday! We’re nearing the end of the week, and I hope yours is going well!

I’ll get to the Cardinals below, but first, don’t have any plans for the Fourth of July weekend? Come join us in the pool at Chase Field! I mean, what’s better than a pool party in July?! The takeover includes a game ticket to D-backs/Nationals in the pool, as well as complimentary food and non-alcoholic beverages during the entirety of the game.

Good times will be had by all. On to the show!

Everything You Need To Know About the Cardinals’ 2025 Schedule

At long last, we can talk about football again.

The Cardinals officially have a schedule.

Arizona officially released its 2025 schedule on Wednesday — along with the 31 other NFL teams — and there’s quite a bit to take in. For one, the Cardinals open and close their season on the road, kicking things off in New Orleans on Sept. 7, while closing it out against the Rams in Los Angeles on a Week 18 date that’s open for flex scheduling.

The Cards have their bye in Week 8, sandwiched between a home game against the Packers and a road game at Dallas, and they are currently slated for two games that will be shown in primetime: Thursday, Sept. 25 against the Seahawks in Glendale, and Monday, Nov. 3 at Dallas.

But the best part? Arizona’s schedule ranks 27th in difficulty based on their opponents’ win percentage in 2024 (.457), ahead of just Tennessee, New England, New Orleans and San Francisco.

Cardinals To Host Two Preseason Games; Have More Opportunities For Primetime

Arizona will kick off its three-game preseason schedule at State Farm Stadium against the Chiefs in early August before traveling to Denver to face the Broncos the following week. The Cardinals wrap up their exhibition slate back in Glendale against the Raiders before kicking off the regular season on Sept. 7.

Here’s the complete schedule:

• Aug. 7-10 vs. Chiefs, TBD (preseason)
• Aug. 14-18 at Broncos, TBD (preseason)
• Aug. 21-24 vs. Raiders, TBD (preseason)
• Sept. 7 at Saints, 10 am (CBS)
• Sept. 14 vs. Panthers, 1:05 pm (CBS)
• Sept. 21 at 49ers, 1:25 pm (FOX)
• Sept. 25 vs. Seahawks, 5:15 pm (Prime Video)
• Oct. 5 vs. Titans, 1:05 pm (CBS)
• Oct. 12 at Colts, 10 am (FOX)
• Oct. 19 vs. Packers, 1:25 pm (FOX)
• WEEK 8 – BYE WEEK
• Nov. 3 at Cowboys, 6:15 pm (ESPN / ABC)
• Nov. 9 at Seahawks, 2:05 pm (CBS)
• Nov. 16 vs. 49ers, 2:05 pm (FOX)
• Nov. 23 vs. Jaguars, 2:05 pm (FOX)
• Nov. 30 at Buccaneers, 11 am (FOX)
• Dec. 7 vs. Rams, 2:25 pm (FOX)
• Dec. 14 at Texans, 11 am (FOX)
• Dec. 21 vs. Falcons, 2:05 pm (FOX)
• Dec. 27/28 at Bengals, TBD (Flex game)
• Jan. 3/4 at Rams, TBD (Flex game)

The best part of yesterday came from linebacker Mack Wilson Sr., who literally recorded a rap single titled “18 bars” to celebrate the team’s 2025 schedule release. Honestly, he’s got skills!

My Take: There are definitely higher expectations heading into this season, and though strength of schedule is somewhat subjective considering it’s simply being compared to the previous year, Arizona has an opportunity to erase last season’s abysmal finish from everyone’s minds. The Cardinals lost five of their final seven games to fall out of the postseason picture, but they can establish a presence early on, as the first three opponents on their schedule were a combined 16-35 last season.

Musings From Around (and Sometimes Beyond) The Valley

Big Series Win: The Diamondbacks staved off a Giants ninth-inning rally to take the series rubber match 8-7, and have now improved to 4-3 in their current stretch of 13 straight games against NL West foes. Arizona now returns home for a three-game set against the Major League-worst Rockies before heading to L.A. to face the Dodgers.

Drafting a Plan: The Suns draft 29th overall in the upcoming NBA Draft, and our ALLCITY team has been hard at work preparing everything you need to know. Presenting: The NBA Diehard Draft Guide — Led by ALLCITY draft analysts Derek Bodner of PHLY and Will Gottlieb of CHGO, this guide is your one-stop-shop as teams across the league gear up to reshape their rosters

Get ready for:

• Over 70 detailed scouting reports from Derek and Will, crafted after months of watching film and talking to people around the league.
• On-the-ground reporting from the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
• Insightful video breakdowns and draft coverage from the ALLCITY NBA Show and our team-specific shows across the country.

Note the Diehard draft guide is best viewed on desktop or tablet!

Eyes on the Prize: The ASU men’s golf team has qualified for the NCAA Championships following an impressive performance at the Bremerton, Wash. regional, where they finished 26 strokes better than the cut line. The No. 5 Sun Devils will compete at the championships on May 23-28 in Carlsbad, Calif, marking the seventh time the team has qualified since coach Matt Thurmond was hired in 2016.

🧢 Tip of the Hat by Branded Bills

It’s beautiful.