Cardinals reporter shares bad news for Carson Beck after stellar Hall of Fame Game performance

The Arizona Cardinals suffered a 33-30 loss to the Carolina Panthers in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night, but Arizona rookie quarterback Carson Beck nevertheless emerged as the major talking point regarding the contest. 

Beck's performance against Panthers backups predictably had some wondering if he could leapfrog veteran backup Gardner Minshew II and starter Jacoby Brissett on the depth chart before the 2026 NFL season gets underway. According to Cardinals beat writer Doug Haller of The Athletic, Arizona fans should expect to see Beck open the campaign as a spectator as long as both Brissett and Minshew are healthy.

Carson Beck given harsh reality check about excellent preseason outing

"Jacoby Brissett is the expected starter," Haller wrote about the Cardinals. "Gardner Minshew is the expected backup. That’s how it should be. They’ve earned those spots. That’s why rookie Carson Beck’s performance Thursday night was so encouraging. He showed promise, even if it came against Carolina’s second- and third-teamers. It’s a preseason game. No one takes these things seriously, not even the teams playing."

Beck impressed those watching Thursday's game either in person or via NBC as he completed 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards, a touchdown and zero interceptions. That said, Brissett received a reworked deal in late July that included a pay raise after he stayed away from the Cardinals throughout voluntary springtime workouts amid his desire for an adjusted contract. While his status atop the depth chart could change if Arizona has a losing record later this fall, there's no sign he is in danger of losing the QB1 job after Thursday night. 

"From the standpoint of readiness, offensive command and meeting the moment, Beck passed those tests," Haller added. "He led three scoring drives. He showed poise. He threw the ball away when necessary. He secured the ball when sacked."

Mike LaFleur reacts to Carson Beck's outing

Every team passed on the opportunity to select Beck during the 2026 NFL Draft until the Cardinals scooped him up in the third round. Following Thursday's game, first-year Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur suggested he wasn't surprised by how the young signal-caller played against the Panthers. 

"It's going to be a broken record," LaFleur said about Beck, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. "The same thing that I keep seeing at practice where he just gets in and out of the huddle, and he doesn't make it too big. He just lives by the play. Again, I give a lot of credit to [offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett], but really, particularly, [quarterbacks coach Matt Schaub] in terms of ... just the way Schaub played was that. [Beck] worried about one play at a time and executing that play and going through your progressions, not making stuff up. If it's not there, checking it down. If we're in a bad play, a bad call, don't make it worse. He's proud of the way he played, and it's a good first stepping stone for him."

Arizona's next preseason game will be a matchup at the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 13. It remains to be seen how many snaps Beck will take on that Thursday evening.