When the NFL schedule dropped in May, the Arizona Cardinals got absolutely hammered. Not only were they completely shut out from any prime-time games, but they also got straight-up omitted from all nine international contests set for the 2026 season. And if that wasn’t enough of a gut punch, Las Vegas already slapped them with the underdog tag in every single regular-season game this year. Talk about a brutal welcome to the new season.
Shocker: The 2026 Snub That Stings
It’s honestly wild. The league is rolling out games in Australia and France for the first time ever, pushing the NFL brand harder than ever globally, and the Cardinals? Nowhere to be seen, not even in the conversation for participating in those landmark matchups. You gotta wonder how that feels for a team that literally pioneered this whole international game thing. The reason for the cold shoulder isn’t a mystery though. Losing 14 games in the prior season will absolutely put you in the league’s penalty box for these kinds of opportunities. When you’re struggling that hard, the big-money, high-profile events simply aren’t going your way.
The Unbelievable Twist: Who Actually Started All This?
Here’s the kicker, the part that makes this whole situation sting even more: the Arizona Cardinals, back when they were the St. Louis Cardinals, are the OG pioneers of playing NFL games outside of North America. Seriously! We’re talking 1976, August 16, when the St. Louis Cardinals faced off against the San Diego Chargers in a forgotten Week 3 preseason game in Japan. That was the first-ever NFL contest of any kind played beyond the borders of the United States and Canada.
Back in the 70s, American Football was like cricket to the rest of the world. People had no clue how it worked: confusing rules, huge padded uniforms, helmets blocking faces, full of collisions. But the NFL had this “bright idea” to chase new money trails and saw the entire globe as an “untapped resource,” a “super highway” ready for exposure through live games. Owners brainstormed it, with both optimism and major doubts. Soccer was already a worldwide sport, known and played by everyone. American Football, with its “gladiator” players, was totally different. The league wanted to test the waters, eyeing regionally close spots like Mexico or South America to keep airfare and equipment shipping costs manageable for two full teams, coaches, staff, cheerleaders, and medical personnel.
So what’s next for this squad? With Vegas calling them underdogs in literally every game and the league seemingly forgetting their own legacy, the Cardinals have one massive job ahead of them: prove everyone wrong. Can they do it? We’ll be watching every snap to find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Revenge of the Birds.
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