Arizona Cardinals quarterback Gardner Minshew II is feared to have suffered a torn UCL during the first half of Sunday's 3-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Minshew is now seeking additional medical opinions to confirm whether he needs what would be season-ending surgery, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.
It's unfortunate for Minshew, who finally earned his first start of the season after leading Arizona to a Week 8 comeback win over the Dallas Cowboys. It's also impressive he was able to play through the entire second half in Seattle with the injury, which could potentially also explain at least part of Arizona's offensive struggles.
Those struggles will likely continue if Minshew is confirmed out for the season. They just moved on from Jacoby Brissett, sending him to the Baltimore Ravens after Mike LaFleur named Minshew their Week 9 starter. Third-round rookie Carson Beck would be the Cardinals' starting quarterback if Minshew is now out.
Cardinals could start Carson Beck after Gardner Minshew II injury
They could address the position externally with just one day remaining before the trade deadline. But turning to Beck toward the end of the season should've been the plan all along. We projected Arizona to turn to Beck in Week 12 against the Washington Commanders. If anything, it could be even more beneficial to get him more games, giving the Cardinals more sample size to evaluate whether he's the long-term answer or whether they should spend a first-round pick at the position in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Beck has to be the silver lining to this Minshew injury, as the timing of it at least aligns well with the Cardinals needing to embrace the rebuild anyway. It's been an unfortunate injury news day for Arizona, with WR1 Michael Wilson ruled out for the season with a neck injury. So although Beck could have more games to prove himself as QB1, he'll face an uphill battle with offensive weapons outside of tight end Trey McBride.
If Beck is named the starter in place of Minshew this week, it would mean upcoming games against the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs. He's being thrown into the fire in what will likely be two losses, considering how banged up the Cardinals are. Not to mention who is out of the picture before those matchups, should GM Monti Ossenfort lean further into their seller's stance after trading away Marvin Harrison Jr. and Brissett.
Cardinals may finally get a chance to evaluate Carson Beck
But at this point, all the Cardinals fans want to see is Beck out there regardless of what the external circumstances are. If he's going to be this team's starting quarterback, he'll have to produce in less-than-ideal circumstances anyway.
The loss to Seattle put Arizona even further behind in the NFC West, and these injuries, along with the trade deadline, make it clear where they stand. This is another transitional season for the Cardinals as they pivot in their rebuild and continue searching for an answer at quarterback. They know it's not Brissett, and unfortunately Minshew may no longer get a chance to step up either, though that was never a sustainable answer.
Beck is the only possible long-term solution at quarterback on this roster, which is why fans were eager to see him. He showed promise in his lone preseason game and deserves a chance to see whether that translates to meaningful regular-season games. Maybe the Cardinals could even add another weapon or two to that depleted WR room.
But these are all moves that should've happened anyway, and the quick Minshew injury would at least give the Cardinals no choice but to turn to Beck.
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