NFL Schedule: LA Rams Play Thanksgiving Eve Game vs. Packers – What It Means for the Arizona Cardinals

The NFL calendar is a living, breathing organism, and every year, it delivers twists that reshape the landscape before a single down is played. As the league gears up for the full 2026 regular-season schedule release this Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, one massive piece of the puzzle has already clicked into place: the Los Angeles Rams will face the Green Bay Packers on a historic Wednesday night—Thanksgiving Eve—in Week 12, broadcast exclusively on Netflix. For the Arizona Cardinals, this news is more than just a scheduling curiosity. It’s a strategic signal that eliminates a potential matchup date and forces us to re-examine the divisional chess match that defines the NFC West.

Let’s break down what this means for the Cardinals, the Rams, and the broader implications for the 2026 season. The full schedule drops Thursday, but this early reveal gives us a rare window into how the league’s broadcast partners and international commitments are reshaping the traditional football week.

The Thanksgiving Eve Game: A New NFL Tradition?

For decades, Thanksgiving has been the exclusive domain of the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, with a third game rotating in for prime time. But the 2026 season introduces a disruptive new element: a Wednesday night game on the day before Thanksgiving. The Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers will take center stage on Netflix, marking the streaming giant’s first foray into live NFL regular-season action on a Wednesday.

This is not a gimmick. The NFL has been aggressively expanding its broadcast footprint, and Wednesday football—while rare—offers a unique opportunity to capture a captive audience. Thanksgiving Eve is historically a travel day, a night when families gather, and bars are packed. The league is betting that a marquee matchup between a storied franchise (Packers) and a recent Super Bowl winner (Rams) will command massive ratings. For the Cardinals, however, this game is a critical data point.

Why? Because the Arizona Cardinals and Rams play twice every season as NFC West rivals. With the Rams locked into a Week 12 Wednesday game, the Cardinals now know that their second meeting with Los Angeles will not occur in that week. This is a small but significant elimination that narrows the scheduling possibilities for head coach Jonathan Gannon’s squad.

What the Rams’ Week 12 Game Eliminates for the Cardinals

The NFL schedule is a complex web of bye weeks, prime-time slots, and travel logistics. For the Cardinals, the Rams’ Thanksgiving Eve game removes one of the most logical windows for their second divisional showdown. Let’s look at the math:

• Week 1: The Rams open the season in Melbourne, Australia against the San Francisco 49ers. This eliminates any chance of a Cardinals-Rams game in Week 1. The Cardinals will not travel to SoFi Stadium or host Los Angeles in the opening weekend.
• Week 12: The Rams host the Packers on Wednesday night. This eliminates Week 12 as a potential date for the Cardinals’ second meeting with Los Angeles.
• Remaining windows: The Cardinals and Rams will still meet twice in 2026, but those games must now fall in Weeks 2-11 or Weeks 13-18 (excluding bye weeks). This gives the schedule makers less flexibility, but it also creates a predictable rhythm for Arizona’s coaching staff.

This elimination is particularly interesting because the Cardinals and Rams often play in the second half of the season. In recent years, their matchups have fallen in Weeks 10, 12, or 13. With Week 12 gone, we could see a late-season clash in Week 16 or 17, which would carry massive playoff implications. Or, the NFL could slot the first meeting early—say Week 4—to spread out the divisional drama.

Expert Analysis: How the Schedule Reshapes the NFC West

As a sports journalist who has covered the NFL for over a decade, I can tell you that schedule reveals are not just about dates and times. They are about momentum. The Cardinals, under Gannon, are building a young, hungry roster around quarterback Kyler Murray. The Rams, led by Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford, are in a retooling phase but remain dangerous. Knowing they cannot face Arizona in Week 1 or Week 12 changes how both teams prepare.

For the Cardinals, the elimination of Week 12 means they avoid a short week. The Rams, playing on Wednesday, would have had a significant rest disadvantage if they faced Arizona on the following Sunday or Monday. Now, the Cardinals’ schedule will be more traditional, allowing them to build consistent game plans without the chaos of a mid-week game.

For the Rams, the Australia trip in Week 1 is a massive logistical hurdle. Traveling to Melbourne is no small feat—it’s a 15-hour flight and a 17-hour time difference. The Rams will likely have a bye in Week 2 to recover, which means their first game against the Cardinals could come as early as Week 3 or as late as Week 6. This is a critical advantage for Arizona, who will be well-rested and acclimated to U.S. time zones.

Let’s also consider the broadcast implications. The Cardinals-Rams rivalry has produced some of the most entertaining games in recent memory—think of the 2021 wild-card shootout or the 2023 overtime thriller. With the Rams now tied to Netflix for a Wednesday game, the NFL may prioritize putting the Cardinals-Rams matchups on traditional networks like Fox, CBS, or NBC to maximize viewership. This could mean more national exposure for Arizona, which is a boon for a franchise trying to build its brand.

Predictions for the Cardinals’ 2026 Season Based on Schedule Clues

While we don’t have the full schedule yet, the early reveals give us enough to make educated predictions. Here are three bold forecasts for the Arizona Cardinals in 2026:

1. The Cardinals Will Have a Strong Start. With the Rams and 49ers both playing international games in Week 1 (San Francisco faces the Rams in Australia, while the 49ers also travel to London for a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5), the Cardinals could catch a break. If Arizona’s first two weeks are against beatable opponents, they could start 2-0 or 3-0, building early momentum.

2. The Second Rams Game Will Decide the Division. With the first meeting likely in Weeks 3-6 and the second in Weeks 14-18, the final matchup could be a de facto NFC West title game. The Rams’ schedule is brutal—they travel to Australia, play on a Wednesday, and face the Packers. Fatigue could set in late in the season. The Cardinals, with a more balanced schedule, could exploit that.

3. Kyler Murray Will Have a Career Year. The Cardinals’ home and away opponents for 2026 include the NFC North and AFC East. While the Packers, Bills, and Dolphins are tough, the Bears, Patriots, and Jets are vulnerable. Murray, now fully healthy and in his second year in Gannon’s system, could feast on weaker secondaries. The Rams’ defense, without Aaron Donald, is no longer a fortress.

Conclusion: A Schedule That Favors the Cardinals

The NFL schedule release is always a moment of high drama, but for the Arizona Cardinals, the early leaks have already painted a promising picture. The Rams’ Thanksgiving Eve game against the Packers eliminates a potential divisional matchup in Week 12, while the Australia trip in Week 1 removes another. This leaves the Cardinals with a cleaner path to manage their two games against Los Angeles.

In a league where every advantage matters, the schedule is a silent partner. The Cardinals now know when they won’t face the Rams, and that knowledge is power. As the full slate drops Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, keep an eye on the Week 4-6 window and the final four weeks of the season. That’s where the NFC West will be won or lost.

For now, the Cardinals have a reason to smile. The Rams are taking on the world—literally—while Arizona waits for its moment. In the NFL, timing is everything. And for the 2026 Cardinals, the timing just got a little better.

Source: Based on news from Yahoo Sports.