The Arizona Cardinals are entering a new era. With a few roster changes and a rejuvenated locker room, fans are excited. Earlier this week, Arizona faced the Dallas Cowboys, and the offense was very sluggish in the first half. Jacoby Brissett started the game, but against a weak Cowboys secondary, he didn’t perform.
Brissett was 10-for-23 with an interception, and the Cardinals couldn’t get anything going. In the third quarter, head coach Mike Lafleur made the change fans have been calling for, kind of.
The Cardinals benched Brissett after the offense was only able to put up three points in nearly three quarters. In came veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew, who signed a one-year deal with Arizona in the offseason. Many fans have called for Carson Beck to get the start amid Brissett’s struggles.
Lafleur instead went with Gardner Minshew, a decision that worked out flawlessly. Minshew, in about two quarters of action, went for 188 yards and three touchdowns. He led a remarkable comeback, as the Cardinals upset the Cowboys in overtime, 33-30.
Minshew was named the starting quarterback just one day after the win. He’ll make his first start with the Cardinals this Sunday in Seattle, facing the defending champs. Brissett, disappointed by this decision, requested a trade from the team on Monday.
Brissett was ultimately traded to the Baltimore Ravens. Given the Ravens’ current quarterback room, which is plagued by injuries, this was a solid move for them. Injuries to Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley have continued to halt the Ravens’ offense. Bringing in Brissett after the trade is finalized will bring much-needed help for their offense.
The Arizona Cardinals will now roll with two quarterbacks: veteran Gardner Minshew and rookie third-round pick Carson Beck.
Given Beck is the younger, higher-upside QB of the two, Cardinals fans are wondering when LaFleur will give Beck his opportunity.
Gardner Minshew is QB1
Gardner Minshew has been one of the NFL’s recent journeymen. He had stints with the Jaguars, Eagles, Colts, Raiders, Chiefs, and now he stands with the Cardinals. Throughout Minshew’s career, he’s been an average starter and reliable backup. He has a career completion percentage of 63.3% and an 88.8 passer rating.
Minshew has been in the league for eight years. His experience and high energy will be very beneficial to Beck and the rest of the Cardinals’ offense. Beck and Minshew have been in the same quarterback room all season, but now Beck will see the fire Minshew plays with in action.
Minshew becoming the starter benefited the offense as a whole against Dallas. Michael Wilson saw substantial success once Minshew stepped on the field. Wilson finished with eight receptions, 111 yards, and one touchdown. Trey McBride also saw an increase in action, as he caught five of his seven receptions from Minshew, four of those being in the fourth quarter.
This Sunday, the 3-5 Cardinals will face off against the 4-4 Seahawks. Minshew will make his first start with Arizona, looking to continue their momentum from Dallas. A pivotal division matchup will be a strong test for Minshew under center.
Rookie Quarterback Close to Action
Jacoby Brissett’s trade to the Ravens now raises more hypotheticals about Carson Beck’s rookie season.
Beck’s door is starting to open for the Cardinals. The third-round pick is now the backup quarterback to Minshew, but the talent drop-off between the two is not that large. Beck looked very solid in the preseason against the Panthers. In college, Beck led Georgia and Miami to multiple playoff appearances.
Mike LaFleur’s offensive scheme fits Beck’s playstyle. In the lone game Carson Beck played in the preseason, he operated the offense very efficiently. Beck completed 79% of his 19 passes for 188 yards and one touchdown.
LaFleur recently acknowledged fans demanding Beck to see some action, saying, “It’d be nice to know what we have right there.” LaFleur went on to say, “I feel really good about where he is with his development, so if that were to come up, then obviously he’d be the next one in.” LaFleur’s statement is optimistic for Beck’s near future.
Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett also spoke about Carson Beck’s development, his readiness, and how well prepared he would be if he were to go in. “We’ll find out whenever he goes in.”
Despite statements from LaFleur and Hackett, the Cardinals’ starter remains Minshew. It’s currently unknown when Carson Beck will see the field for Arizona.
Brighter Future in Arizona
The first eight games of the season have been arguably disappointing for Arizona. Despite this, the Cardinals sit at 3-5, which is just one game behind second place in the NFC West. The Cardinals’ recent upset win over Dallas shows that Arizona competes. However, they need a consistent quarterback to operate LaFleur’s offense for a winning shot.
Minshew, in a perfect world, runs the offense flawlessly and ignites the Cardinals’ pass game. Realistically, Carson Beck might end up being the better option after a couple of weeks of Minshew-Mania.
Beck will play at some point, it’s just a matter of when. The Cardinals didn’t draft the 23-year-old third-round pick to sit on the bench all season. For now, it’ll be Minshew under center, but the question is how long he will remain the starter.
It’ll be tough for Arizona this week going into Seattle. Although, given how the offense looked with Minshew under center, the Cardinals could shock the league. However, the matchup against Seattle’s defense is tougher than the matchup against a lackluster Dallas secondary. Minshew has struggled against top-tier defenses in the past.
The Cardinals have yet to conjure a win at home. Once they leave Seattle, they’ll head back to Arizona for another NFC West matchup against the Rams. If Arizona’s offensive struggles resurface, don’t be shocked if Beck is named the starter before their matchup with Los Angeles.
The Cardinals have been searching for a franchise quarterback for quite some time now. Kyler Murray failed, but Carson Beck could be the next young quarterback for Arizona.
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