Carson Beck was everything you could've asked for as a Cardinals fan in his preseason debut Thursday. He exited after the first half, yet still managed to record 188 yards and one touchdown, completing 15-of-19 passes while remaining a calming presence in the pocket that's typically not displayed in rookie quarterbacks.
He is 23 years old, which likely contributed to his slide on draft day. Still, the Cardinals have to be excited about the possibility of Beck being a third-round steal to immediately address the biggest question surrounding their rebuild.
Carson Beck gave Cardinals fans a glimmer of hope Thursday
In all likelihood, the Cardinals will still have to resort to the 2027 NFL Draft as the solution. Thursday at least cracked open a door that wasn't previously an option. As Cardinals insider Kyle Odegard pointed out on Twitter, Beck at least showed enough to let the Cardinals dream about that outside possibility.
I don’t know if Carson Beck will become a franchise guy, but Cardinals fans can legitimately dream it, and that’s a beautiful thing.
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) August 7, 2026
Arizona isn't quite the Cleveland Browns when it comes to franchise quarterback struggles. But the Kyle Murray era officially has to be declared a bust considering he's now in a position battle with J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota.
They appear to be using Jacoby Brissett's reworked deal as a stopgap solution until that next draft prospect comes into the picture. Beck showed Thursday why it could be in the Cardinals' best interest to at least see what they have in the third-round rookie while they can. It's not like they have anything to lose in this transitional season trapped in the NFC West.
Cardinals need to see what they have in Carson Beck
That could even be a win-win scenario for the rebuilding Cardinals. If Beck continues to deal as he did on Thursday, Arizona suddenly has a legitimate option to consider going forward. If he struggles to transition to the NFL regular season play, then Arizona is suddenly in perfect position to draft his replacement.
They already know what they have in Brissett, and that extended audition resulted in a three-win season. After seeing how collected Beck looked against the Panthers, I'm not sure he can do much worse, if at all.
At least the Cardinals didn't give Brissett any additional years in his reworked deal, as they clearly know he's not the actual answer. But in the meantime, why not give Beck an increased opportunity on the off-chance that he actually is the answer?
What we saw Thursday at least warrants a conversation that Beck's evaluation and development should be made a higher priority for the Cardinals this season.
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