Cardinals stun Chargers 26-14 in LaFleur's debut

LaFleur wins his first game as Cardinals head coach

The Arizona Cardinals opened the NFL regular season with a 26-14 road upset of the Los Angeles Chargers, giving first-year head coach Mike LaFleur a debut victory at SoFi Stadium. LaFleur, hired by Arizona in February after spending his final game last season as the Los Angeles Rams' offensive coordinator, became the first Cardinals head coach to win his first game since Don Coryell in 1973. "These last few days have been almost miserable waiting," LaFleur said. "Just really happy for those guys." The Cardinals came into the weekend as the NFL's biggest underdog following a three-win 2025 season shortened by injuries and a coaching change, and the Chargers were favored by 9 1/2 points, the largest spread of Week 1.

Brissett leads the offense behind a rebuilt roster

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett directed an Arizona offense that produced 277 passing yards and one touchdown and leaned on kicker Chad Ryland, who went 4 for 5 on field goals with a 54-yard attempt that bounced off the right upright in the second quarter. The Cardinals added 18 new players and several new assistants during the offseason. Brissett, who has bounced between starting roles during his career, said, "I'm just so happy that we were able to go on the road and get a win. As a starting quarterback, it's like, 'Whew!'" The win was Arizona's first road victory over the Chargers since 2001.

Chargers stumble out of the gate under Harbaugh

Los Angeles trailed for most of the afternoon and unraveled in the fourth quarter, opening the final period with a blocked punt, an interception of Justin Herbert, and a turnover on downs from the 3-yard line, and adding a second turnover on downs in the closing minutes. Herbert finished 17 of 27 for 209 yards with a touchdown and an interception and was sacked three times. "They played well, but it's on us to play better," Herbert said. "We didn't play the way we wanted to." Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, whose older brother John coaches the New York Giants, said, "It's not the start that we wanted, but credit to the Cardinals. It'll be about our resolve, the way we bounce back."

A Week 1 statement against a 2025 contender

The result stood as the most lopsided Week 1 upset of the weekend, with Arizona's 12-point margin against a 9 1/2-point favorite matching or exceeding the next-largest swing on the opening slate. Linebacker Daiyan Henley, reflecting on the early-season context, said, "It's understood that every first week is kind of like a training camp game. You never know what's going to come at you, but you got to be prepared for anything." The Cardinals' next opportunity to extend the early run comes in Week 2, while the Chargers will look to respond in their home opener the same week.