The Arizona Cardinals perhaps will have a sneaky good offense in 2026. They have the skill players with running backs Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier, receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, and tight end Trey McBride. They are not expected to be good defensively.
As such, it is no surprise that the Cardinals do not make the NFL.com list of the top 10 defenses entering 2026.
These are the expected top 10:
- Houston Texans
- Seattle Seahawks
- LA Rams
- Denver Broncos
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Minnesota Vikings
- Baltimore Ravens
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- LA Chargers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Of the top 10, two are in the NFC West. The Cardinals will face the Rams and Seahawks twice each. They will also face the Broncos, Eagles and Chargers. They face the Chargers in their season opener.
In all, they will face five of the top 10 defenses in seven of their 17 games.
The Cardinals' offense will be put to the test.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals to face 5 of NFL's top 10 defenses in 2026











