The time has arrived for the Cardinals. An early birthday gift for Carson Beck, as he’s officially slated to earn the first start of his young NFL career. Beck turns 25 next week, and his opportunity in the NFL has come just in time.
This comes after Jacoby Brissett‘s recent departure to Baltimore. Gardner Minshew joining the injured reserve list also contributed to this. The Brissett trade ultimately came down to his inability to give the offense traction. After his strong performance against Dallas, Minshew was announced as the starter. His time as Arizona’s starting quarterback is cut short by an injury to his throwing arm. Minshew has been placed on season-ending injured reserve with a torn UCL.
Entering the fold now is third-round pick Carson Beck, making his first NFL start this weekend against the Los Angeles Rams. Carson Beck taking the reins as starting quarterback is long overdue, but he’ll have a tall task in his first appearance. The wide receiver depth is looking bleak for Arizona after Michael Wilson suffered a season-ending neck injury. With Wilson now out, the Cardinals’ wide receiver room is extremely underwhelming.
Don’t expect Carson Beck’s first start to be encouraging, as the Rams’ defense is coming off a stellar performance against the Commanders. The Rams’ defense is the healthiest it’s been all season. On the contrary, the Cardinals’ offensive injuries have constantly held them back. Arizona will need to do everything they can to support Beck in his first start. Matching up against a division rival that has Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald on the other side of the ball isn’t going to be anything smooth.
Is Beck Ready?
All season, Arizona fans have been curious when Beck will get his first start. Ten weeks in, Beck finally receives his chance at the next level.
In the preseason, Beck made one appearance, and it was enough to get fans excited. Beck played terrific in his lone appearance, finishing the game against the Panthers with 188 yards and a touchdown, completing 15 of 19 passes. This produced a 125.4 passer rating, which only one Cardinals quarterback has surpassed this season (Gardner Minshew against the Cowboys, 137.3 rating).
Despite Beck’s flash in the preseason, the question remains whether he’ll be able to translate that into a similar regular-season performance. In college, Beck showed he can step up in big moments. His college football playoff record is 4-1 across games with Georgia and Miami. He accumulated 772 yards, 5 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 130.1 in his appearances. The only loss came against the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers in last year’s national championship.
Currently slated to turn 25 years old this month, Beck had plenty of time to refine his skills in college. He was the starter for Georgia for two years, then transferred to Miami, where he was the starter for his final season of college football. In the three total seasons as a starter, Beck’s stats are incredibly promising. 11,239 passing yards on nearly a 70% completion rate, along with 82 touchdowns, show he played at the highest level in the NCAA. Now, Beck will attempt to play at his highest level against one of the NFL’s best teams.
Opportunity Doesn’t Come Easy
The Cardinals by no means should mess with the Rams’ defense. Myles Garrett’s dominance was on display after he came back from a knee injury, which sidelined him for seven games. Garrett, in his return, recorded three sacks against the Commanders. The whole defensive line was in Jayden Daniel’s grill for all four quarters. Expect the Cardinals to see the same pressure, as the relentless combination of Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald creates immense issues for opposing offenses.
The Cardinals’ offense is a polar opposite of the Rams’ defense. As Los Angeles’ defense improves, Arizona’s offense continues to fall apart piece by piece. Currently, key weapons Michael Wilson, Kendrick Bourne, and Jeremiyah Love are all on injured reserve. Beck will have virtually no reliable support in his first start. The wide receiver room slated for Sunday consists of Reggie Virgil, Simi Fehoko, and Devin Duvernay. Despite this, Beck will have All-Pro Tight End Trey McBride, but the Rams’ defensive game plan will bracket him the entire game.
Trey McBride advocated for Beck ahead of his first career start. He said, “I have a ton of confidence in him (Carson Beck) going into this game, and he’s ready for the challenge.” Head coach Mike LaFleur also gave a vote of confidence, saying, “I’m more just looking forward to just watching him go operate.”
What does Arizona’s Future Hold?
The Cardinals are in an odd spot. Injuries have plagued Arizona, along with multiple player departures following front-office moves, and the team is 3-6. Marvin Harrison Jr. was traded for a second-round pick despite being the former number four overall selection. Jacoby Brissett was traded despite signing a one-year deal before the season. Michael Wilson, Gardner Minshew, Kendrick Bourne, and Jeremiyah Love are all on injured reserve.
Arizona should start to embrace what is looking like a lost season. This leaves the Cardinals with a huge offseason ahead of them. Arizona has an abundance of picks with a stacked 2027 draft class. Drafting a quarterback is certainly a possibility, but if Beck plays well for the rest of 2026, Arizona will most likely look to surround him for the future.
It starts this weekend, as Carson Beck finally gets to showcase his skills in the NFL. The opportunity comes against a stacked Rams defense, but don’t doubt Beck’s ability to handle pressure. The game will be extremely rigorous, but right now it’s all about Carson Beck’s consistent development for Arizona.
Leave a comment