The Arizona Cardinals released their depth chart for the Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Their quarterback room is locked in at this point after reworking Jacoby Brissett's deal in the offseason: Brissett, followed by veteran journeyman Gardner Minshew II, then third-round rookie Carson Beck.
Brissett will be this team's QB1 heading into the season as Arizona, though there's already debate regarding the ideal length of that leash. Brissett gives the Cardinals the best chance to win on a weekly basis, but a rebuilding roster paired with a demanding schedule will likely make those instances few and far between.
At some point, the Cardinals need to consider switching to Beck as they look ahead to the future. To their credit, head coach Mike LaFleur is already making one smart decision by prioritizing Beck's development.
Rebuilding Cardinals are right to prioritize Carson Beck's development
Friday, LaFleur said that Minshew and Beck will split the scout-team reps: 32 reps on Wednesday, 36 on Thursday, and 20 on Friday, per ESPN's Josh Weinfuss.
That's an unconventional approach to divide the reps, but ultimately the right one, as LaFleur explains Beck's development will benefit more from this experience compared to the grizzled veteran in Minshew.
"As you're trying to develop these guys, we just thought it was right to do that," LaFleur said. "If Gardner had been a second-year guy and was our No. 2, then probably wouldn't be doing this. But because he has played so much football, so much meaningful football in this league, understands this system, obviously took all the reps through OTAs, took a ton of reps in training camp, that's why we felt comfortable being able to do this."
The Cardinals are right to prioritize Beck in what will in all likelihood be another long, losing season. Quarterback woes are at the very top of the list of areas to address for Arizona, so they might as well see what they have in Beck.
He's at least earned an extended look after a strong preseason debut, completing 15-of-19 passes for 188 yards and one touchdown against the Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately, that strong performance in the Hall of Fame Game was Beck's lone appearance, missing the remainder of preseason with a rib injury.
Could he get another opportunity later in the season? It's increasingly likely, given how frontloaded the Cardinals' schedule is in terms of difficulty. It's a matter of if, not when, this team becomes eliminated from the NFC West playoff picture. Arizona will have nothing to lose by switching to Beck later in the season, and it's already making the right decision to prioritize him, with these developmental reps shared with Minshew.
It may seem like a relatively minor decision in the scheme of things, but it's incredibly telling about the patient long-term approach LaFleur will have in his first year with this rebuilding roster. It's encouraging they continue to play the long game, and this wise decision to give Beck more reps with the scout team is just the latest example.
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