Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Beck shines in preseason debut | Latest NFL News, Analysis & Updates
Carson Beck’s lengthy college career put him in many big games, so it should come as no surprise that the Arizona Cardinals quarterback looked like the best player on the field in Thursday night’s Hall of Fame game against the Carolina Panthers. Arizona would wind up losing 33-30 on a last-second Panthers touchdown.
Beck went 15-of-19 for 188 yards and a TD on five non-kneel drives, leading the Cards to 17 second-quarter points, including a perfect back-shoulder fade for his touchdown toss. First-year coach Mike LaFleur wasn’t surprised by Beck’s play.
“It’s going to be a broken record, the same thing that I keep seeing at practice where he just gets in and out of the huddle, and he doesn’t make it too big. He just lives by the play,” LaFleur said. “I was proud of the way he played, and it’s a good first stepping stone for him.”
In a game that included mostly borderline players who are battling to make the final 53-man rosters, Beck’s play stood out.
“It feels great to go in and succeed and execute within the offense,” Beck said. “And, obviously, again, there’s going to be things to fix. You got to go watch the tape and there’s always so much room to improve, even just being a rookie, being a new guy and kind of getting my first taste of the league.”
The QB was poised in the pocket behind a backup offensive line, never looked rattled. He showed excellent touch downfield and wasn’t afraid to fit the pigskin into tight windows. Beck might not sport the biggest howitzer, but he was pin-point accurate, displayed an ability to stay on target from multiple arm angles, didn’t panic under pressure, and was wholly a field general.
“It’s the same guy that I felt like you saw watching the tape,” LaFleur said. “This was a really cool environment. I’m glad that we got to play in this, and you never know if you’re ever going to be able to play in one of these again. So, albeit a preseason game, it doesn’t count in the win-loss, but it was a cool environment for him to just kind of, you know, ‘Hey, it’s just another game’, and that’s the way he took it, and he’s been in big ones.”
The performance against players who likely won’t be on a roster in a month shouldn’t be overblown. It was a good performance from Beck, who confirmed the Cardinals’ priors and showed he wouldn’t implode. It’s a building block performance for the third-round pick.
Beck’s play shouldn’t have any effect on Jacoby Brissett’s grip on the opening day starting gig. However, the rookie could push Gardner Minshew for the backup role with similar positive performances in the preseason. Beck’s play, if it continues on this trajectory, could move up the timeline in which we expect the Cardinals to give him a shot as the starter if things get off to a rocky start in 2026.
