Why I'm Buying the Carson Beck Hype as Cardinals' Hall of Fame Game Starter

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals finally made a call on who will be their starting quarterback during Thursday's Hall of Fame Game, and it's the right one.

Carson Beck is getting the nod, according to head coach Mike LaFleur. Beck, the third quarterback on Arizona's depth chart, will split time with Kedon Slovis as Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew aren't expected to play against the Carolina Panthers.

The importance of Beck starting shouldn't be overblown or exaggerated. Beck's not going to win any starting jobs nor lose any faith from Cardinals brass over the course of his snaps in Canton.

With Arizona potentially eying a franchise quarterback next offseason, they'll need as much information as possible on Beck before making that decision, and Thursday's the biggest step thus far in that process.

Carson Beck's Rollercoaster Training Camp

Beck has strung together some strong performances in recent practices after starting out of the gates slower than some would have liked. That's life as a rookie quarterback, especially one taken in the third round, though it's been an overall mixed bag of performances.

"With any young player, I think there's always ups and downs," Cardinals offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett told reporters this week.

"You kind of expect that. I think he's had a couple really great days and a couple rough days, but again I think the thing that I really appreciate about him is he doesn't let it affect him. Some things might work, some things might not, but he's just going to try to take as much as he can from each one of those opportunities."

Beck's accuracy has been hit or miss depending on the day, though his arm talent has also been a highlight thus far.

Jul 23, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck (19) during training camp at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's something to be said about what the next step will entail for Beck, who will be getting his first taste of live competition at the NFL level. The proverbial bullets will be flying, and Beck will be tasked with elevating his game against players who aren't his own teammates.

"All of his experience. His age, his understanding that things are gonna go good and things are gonna go bad. Always understanding you can never get too excited, you can never get too frustrated because you're gonna have another play," Hackett highlighted on what he's seen from Beck.

"And the key was learning from those mistakes and growing from those, but I think Carson definitely has a very good command, and he's really excited about this opportunity."

The arm talent, pocket mobility and other various physical characteristics will be on display Thursday, though what makes starting Beck the correct call isn't what he does initially, but more so how he reacts.

Why I'm Buying the Carson Beck Hype as Hall of Fame Game Starter

Rookies make mistakes. Rookie quarterback mistakes are amplified and plastered across social media. We live in a world where time for development is essentially non-existent: either you're ready to save a franchise from the first day or you're just another brick in the wall of quarterbacks drafted.

Beck's extensive college experience made him an attractive piece for the Cardinals to target, both in hopes of immediately contributing in 2026 and beyond. With the available options in the third round, Beck's resume and profile was the obvious choice.

Yet anybody can look great in controlled environment, but how will Beck respond when adversity hits?

That's the selling point of why Thursday is a big day for the Miami/Georgia product.

"You can call a perfect play versus perfect coverage, and something can go wrong. There's a lot of people out there, a lot of human error that goes on in every single football play. And if it's good, again, we don't want him to get too excited. It's still a long game, and he'll have a lot of opportunity out there," Hackett continued.

"Anything that might [be] bad happens on an offensive football play, how do you respond the next play? If you lose yardage, you know are you excited about the opportunity next play, or are you thinking about that last one and letting it affect that next play? That's a huge mental part of our game, especially at that position."

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