6 Massive Takeaways From Cardinals' Preseason Opener: Carson Beck Looks Legit

The Arizona Cardinals have their first preseason game in the bag. Here's our biggest takeaways.

Aug 6, 2026; Canton, Ohio, USA; Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort on the sidelines prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals' preseason is officially underway.

The Cardinals got off to a strong start despite ultimately falling to the Carolina Panthers in thrilling fashion on Thursday. Head coach Mike LaFleur finally made his debut on the Cardinals' sideline, along with a few others notable names.

After the first 60 minutes of football, here's our biggest takeaways:

Carson Beck Couldn't Have Played Better

Beck did practically everything asked of him last night, and at a high level.

You name it, he checked the box. Beck composed the offense, kept things on schedule, dotted passes across the field and used his legs a bit in the process. When people talked about projecting what Beck could be at the NFL level, we saw it in Canton.

Even his incompletions seemed impressive. Beck dusted a ball in the dirt on a busted play-action instead of trying to force something while most other incompletions could be considered drops by the receiver.

Is he ready to start Week 1? Absolutely not. But make no mistake about it, Beck really impressed against the Panthers.

Mike LaFleur's Offense Can Be Incredibly Exciting

It was so good to see LaFleur's offense actually have the opportunity to execute against live action, and the immediate takeaway is the Cardinals just might have a fun offense in 2026.

Truth be told, there wasn't much different in terms of overall goals between LaFleur and prior play-caller Drew Petzing. Both want to establish the run and use play-action to marry the run/pass game.

However, the way the two minds go about attacking those goals is entirely different, and LaFleur showed that on Thursday.

The Cardinals incorporated plenty of zone, both inside and wide. Play-action rollouts were utilized often, and more particularly receiver motions in terms of leverage for blocking and spacing on routes was also noticable.

If Arizona had success with backups, it's exciting to think about what the Cardinals can be come time for the regular season.

Bam Knight Just Might Make The Roster

It's unknown how many running backs the Cardinals will keep, though if they roll with a fourth name on the depth chart — Knight just might make the team.

He's logged snaps over the injured Trey Benson during team drills thus far in training camp. Last night, Knight looked terrific — save for a near fumble he coughed up. Knight rushed for a game-high 60 yards on 12 carries and often made defenders miss on first contact.

The Cardinals have their top duo established in Jeremiyah Love/Tyler Allgeier. James Conner figures to be RB3 whenever healthy, too.

Knight, if he can really contribute on special teams, just might make the Cardinals' roster. He at least has an advantage over Benson after his preseason debut.

Cardinals' WR Room is Incredibly Deep

The Cardinals can't keep everybody, but there sure are numerous guys who are talented but will end up on waivers after final roster cuts.

Arizona's WR room is stacked, from top to bottom, with players who can contribute. That was evidenced last night with backups in Reggie Virgil and Jalen Brooks combining for eight receptions and 165 yards.

Meanwhile, Simi Fehoko and Bryson Green both found the end zone for the Cardinals through the air.

That's without the presence of Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who has been a training camp standout for the Cardinals but was injured this week. He's expected to make a push for the final roster.

Somebody will fall through the cracks after Arizona trims their roster. The Cardinals' preseason room of receivers is full of talent.

We're Concerned About BJ Ojulari

The Cardinals sat roughly 35 starters/fringe guys, making it interesting that a player such as BJ Ojulari played.

Not only did Ojulari play, he played deep into the game with 35 snaps. And during that time, Ojulari was caught out of position on a quarterback bootleg while missing a clear/open sack opportunity on Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett.

Ojulari's pure involvement in last night's game mixed with his dissapointing play doesn't bode well for his chances of having a significant role on the team — or perhaps even a roster spot.

That last part might be dramatic, though LaFleur has no ties to the former second-round pick and there's other pass rushers who, now, clearly have bigger roles than Ojulari at this moment in time.

Defensive Depth is Concerning, Across All Areas

The Cardinals' defensive backups shined through the first two series of the night, mostly thanks to Andrew Billings' work in the interior.

From there, things got out of hand for Nick Rallis' unit. Carolina scored on their final six-of-seven drives, and it felt like the Panthers were able to move the ball at will.

Sometimes the other side is just better, but a noticeable part in Arizona's lack of performance were simply their errors. Panthers running backs weren't getting touched until they were three yards up the field while Carolina receivers were open and by themselves far too often. The Cardinals also didn't have any answers for Haynes King's legs on the eventual game-winning drive.

It was a forgettable performance from Arizona's defense that served as a reminder of how thin the roster is on that side of the ball.