Why Carson Beck Isn't Playing in Cardinals vs Packers Game

The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are underway at Lambeau Field for some Friday night preseason action — and star rookie quarterback Carson Beck is sidelined as a non-participant.

The third-round pick, alongside starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett, isn't active for Arizona's finale due to a rib injury. Passers in Gardner Minshew and Kedon Slovis will push the Cardinals across the finish line tonight.

What's going on with Beck, and how serious is his injury?

More on Carson Beck's Rib Injury

Beck has only played in one preseason game for Arizona — which was the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game back in the first week of August.

He suffered the rib injury early in action against the Carolina Panthers but finished the game and practiced through the next week just fine before suddenly being ruled out of their next matchup (Week 1 vs Las Vegas) just hours before game time.

Head coach Mike LaFleur would go on to tell reporters soreness increased to uncomfortable levels with Beck. The Miami/Georgia product hasn't practiced since, missing preseason games against the Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, respectively.

Beck did have a throwing session after practice just a few days ago, which LaFleur described as "good" — though he wasn't on the field for the team's joint practice against Green Bay on Wednesday, which all but sealed his fate for tonight.

Beck impressed towards the end of training camp and against Carolina, so it was a bit of a disappointment to have one of their more exciting young players out due to injury.

With final roster cuts approaching on Sunday, some are curious to see if Arizona places Beck on injured reserve to begin the regular season. This would see Beck miss at least the first four games but would allow him ample time to heal with Brissett and Minshew ahead of him on the depth chart.

However, Arizona Sports' John Gambadoro dismissed those rumors, calling it "unlikely" that he lands on injured reserve. You can read more about that here.

Arizona Cardinals Q — Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck (19) practices during a walkthrough in training camp at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, on July 25, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cardinals aren't worried about Beck's development due to the injury:

"It's easy to magnify the quarterback position and the rookie and all that kind of stuff, but yeah, you get better at football by practicing and playing football. So when you're not out there, it's hard to get better, right?" LaFleur told reporters this week.

"So he's missed some days, but that's no different than the nose guard. That's no different than the receiver. That's no different than the left tackle, particularly for the younger guys. So it is what it is. Injuries are part of this thing, and he's a tough dude. Like I said, he battled through it for three or four practices before the discomfort became so real that it just wasn't worth it to [play] because it wasn't going to improve until we gave him a little bit of time."

After tonight, the Cardinals will have a week off before preparing for the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1.

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