The Cardinals vs Chargers matchup arrives Sunday at 1:25 p.m. at SoFi Stadium, giving the Los Angeles Chargers a Week 1 home opener and a clear early-season test against an Arizona team trying to reset under a new coach.
The Chargers are expected to be strong favorites by 9½ points, which reflects both the talent gap and the uncertainty around Arizona entering the first game of the Mike LaFleur era. The Cardinals have injury questions around Jeremiyah Love and several defensive players, and that adds to the challenge of opening the season on the road against a team that should be ready to roll.
What to watch in Week 1
Jim Harbaugh has already made the tone of the week clear. “It’s September. It’s time to play our first game,” he told reporters this week, and that fits the way Los Angeles has framed the opener. During four seasons with San Francisco, Harbaugh went 6-0 in NFL season debuts as a head coach, so there is a recent history of his teams starting fast.
For the Cardinals, the bigger picture is whether they can avoid another early spiral. Last season, Arizona started 2-0 and then lost 14 of its next 15 games, which is a reminder that a quick start means little without follow-through. This trip to SoFi Stadium will give the Cardinals an immediate read on where they stand.
How to follow the game
Fans in Southern California can watch the game on CBS and Paramount+, with NFL Sunday Ticket and YouTube TV also among the viewing options. For radio, the game will be available on 640 AM and 103.9 FM. With the matchup set for Sunday afternoon, it is one of the more straightforward Week 1 national windows for fans who want to track the Chargers and Cardinals closely.
There is also a coaching subplot worth noting. Mike LaFleur is beginning his first game as Arizona's coach, while the Chargers are entering the new season with Mike McDaniel starting as their offensive coordinator. That gives the game a fresh feel on both sides, even if the stakes are still simple: start 1-0, avoid an early hole, and answer the first set of questions that come with NFL season debuts.
