The Good, Bad and Ugly From Cardinals' Hall of Fame Game

Hall of Fame weekend is practically over after Larry Fitzgerald and his fellow 2026 classmates were inducted earlier today in Canton. Now, the Arizona Cardinals return to State Farm Stadium to prepare for their second preseason game next week.

It was an overall successful weekend for the Cardinals, and while we're putting a bow on coverage from the last few days, let's evaluate the good, bad and ugly from Arizona's Hall of Fame Game performance.

The Good: Carson Beck's Debut

Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Bec — Aug 6, 2026; Canton, Ohio, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck (19) reacts during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There aren't enough good things to be said on what Carson Beck accomplished.

While we do need to keep in mind Beck's overall standing on the depth chart, the circumstances and not completely overreacting to one game, the rookie quarterback performed practically as good as you could have hoped for.

Beck pushed the ball downfield, progressed through reads, made checks at the line of scrimmage and delivered throws with timing and accuracy across all three levels while using his legs some, too.

"It was fun getting to go play football again, and guys [were] out there making plays, and it was just good. Again, it was just good to be back out there on the field," said Beck after the game.

Was Mike LaFleur a major proponent of Beck's success? According to Mike Tomlin, yes.

But while Beck can't control who he's playing with or against, he executed and did precisely what was asked of him. He was perhaps the biggest winner emerging from Canton.

The Bad: Ball Security and Special Teams Decisions

Arizona Cardinals WR Xavier Weave — Aug 6, 2026; Canton, Ohio, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Xavier Weaver (89) fumbles the ball as he is tackled by Carolina Panthers linebacker Carlos Basham (54) in the first half at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We'll start with ball security, where the Cardinals consistently preached all week on the importance of turnovers. In fact, all three of LaFleur, defensive coordinator Nick Rallis and special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial spoke about how turnovers are a winning stat in the NFL.

That would lead to a high emphasis on ball security, especially when it's the preseason opener — and while the Cardinals didn't lose any fumbles, they did put the ball on the ground twice.

The first came with Xavier Weaver, who put the ball on the ground during his first punt return of the night before eventually recovering. Bam Knight soon after nearly coughed possession up before he recovered, too.

You have to think ball security was again a coaching point in film study the day after.

On top of that, Weaver was again back to field a punt and opted to let the kick bounce around his own 12-yard line rather than fielding it. The ball ultimately rolled down to the AZ 4. Weaver also could have tried to block a Panthers defender from touching the ball.

Some solid teach tape was put on in those aspects, and not in a good way.

The Ugly: Cardinals' Defensive Depth

Aug 6, 2026; Canton, Ohio, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Miles Davis (37) runs the ball against Arizona Cardinals cornerback Elijah Jones (28) at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Only three players who might be considered starters in BJ Ojulari, Andrew Billings and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson suited up. All else were depth guys.

Thursday night's performance was a sobering reminder of how thin the Cardinals are defensively just in terms of talent. Was this an indicator of Arizona's defensive success in 2026? Not quite, as Rallis wasn't game-planning or had his premium players available.

Yet the constant wave of open rushing lanes, uncovered receivers and missed tackles was worrisome in the event Arizona will need to rely on a group of said contributors from the other night. Football is a violent game and practically no unit gets through a season unscathed in terms of injury.

We're trying our best to not overreact here, though we saw many of these issues last season from some of the same faces on Arizona's defense, particularly as injuries began to pile up.

The Cardinals simply filled gaps on defense as opposed to increasing the level of depth/talent, and that just might show during the regular season.

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