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Should the Cardinals Start Carson Beck? A 3-5 Season Gives Them Nine Games to Find Out
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- Should the Cardinals Start Carson Beck? A 3-5 Season Gives Them Nine Games to Find Out
Arizona Cardinals fans have been waiting on Carson Beck since April, when the team made the former Miami quarterback the 65th pick in the draft . With Jacoby Brissett headed to Baltimore in a trade , the rookie is one snap away from the field, and the question around the Valley is how long Arizona waits to find out what it has.
For now, the job belongs to Gardner Minshew II. Head coach Mike LaFleur named Minshew the starter Monday after he threw three touchdown passes in relief of Brissett during the 33-30 overtime win in Dallas, and he made Beck the backup. "I know he's prepared to go in there if need be," LaFleur said, according to the team's website . "It's no secret that if something were to happen, it'd be nice to know what we've got (in Beck)."
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What nine games could show Arizona
Aug 6, 2026; Canton, Ohio, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck (19) warms up before playing the Carolina Panthers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Arizona is 3-5, and its quarterback math beyond this season is short. Minshew is playing on a $5.75 million deal and is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, according to Over the Cap . Beck is signed through 2029 on his rookie contract.
His college résumé gives the Cardinals reason to be curious. Beck went 24-3 as a starter at Georgia, then transferred to Miami and threw for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdown passes in 2025 while leading the Hurricanes to the national championship game. His first NFL season has been quieter. He hasn't taken a regular-season snap , and he was limited at practice last month while working back from a back issue that left him as the emergency quarterback against Denver.
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Minshew has earned a real look. He led four straight touchdown drives against the Cowboys, and benching him after one spark would undercut the reason LaFleur made the change. He gets the first crack in a trip to Seattle , and a few good weeks could push Arizona back toward the NFC wild-card race.
If it doesn't, the answer to the question is yes. A team that falls further out of the race by the end of November learns more from Beck's starts than from a veteran on an expiring contract, and LaFleur said it himself last week when he talked about evaluating a rookie in practice. "But like any other position, there's nothing like the real thing," he said. The Cardinals don't have to rush Beck into Seattle, but they should plan on giving him the real thing before the season ends, because they'll need those answers heading into 2027 .
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This story was originally published by Athlon on Nov 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
