What Carson Beck Said About Joining Cardinals, QB Competition

Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck spoke to the media as the team’s rookie minicamp gets underway. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Two weeks after the Cardinals selected Carson Beck with their third-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, the former Georgia and Miami quarterback is in Arizona as the team’s rookie minicamp gets underway.

Following a six-year college career, Beck was drafted into a quarterback room featuring Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew, but lacking a solution at the position. Among the nine quarterbacks taken after Fernando Mendoza in the draft this year, Beck has arguably the best chance of seeing the field as a rookie.

Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort and coach Mike LaFleur said last month that they would not name a starting quarterback. Earlier this week, however, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN reported that Jacoby Brissett will be the Cardinals’ starting quarterback, even as he holds out for a contract that pays him like a starter.

As his first NFL offseason begins, Beck appears more focused on learning from those around him than seeking out playing time.

“For me, the most important thing is get in the building. I started meeting with the coaches and going over the playbook. Learn the guys around me, build relationships, start to connect with them, be myself and just go play ball,” Beck told reporters on Thursday. “Have fun and enjoy the process, try to improve and get better each and every day. If I continue to do that, I think we’ll see where that takes me.”

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LaFleur said after the Cardinals drafted him that it’s beneficial for any player to sit, though they would start a rookie quarterback if he is the best player. For now, both the Cardinals and Beck remain focused on having him learn the offense and adjust to the pros. When Beck was drafted , he was asked about his hopes to compete for playing time. He told reporters that he hadn’t even been in the building yet and his approach is to be himself and take advantage of the opportunities he gets.

“Even if I work to be the guy at some point, you're consistently and constantly learning through game experience, practice, meetings, talking to guys around the facility,” Beck said. “Everybody wants to play football, especially at the position of quarterback. It’s such as an interesting position and why I think it’s the best position on earth, there’s only one guy out there. ... Obviously I would love to play and perform, but we’ll see where that takes me.”

Beck feels one area of the Cardinals offense that suits his strengths is the usage of pure progressions, an area he became “comfortable” with during his college career.

"It just always gives you answers, based off of what the defense is doing. Obviously in today's day and age, defenses are getting better and better at disguising things,” Beck said.

This will be the second straight year he transitions to a new system after spending last offseason moving from Georgia to Miami. While Beck had more time with Miami before the start of the football season, he was also recovering from UCL surgery. This time around, Beck is healthy as he starts his career with the Cardinals.

While Brissett appears on his way to becoming the Cardinals’ starter in 2026, Beck seems to be embracing his current chance to learn and develop with the team. Even so, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make his way onto the field eventually in 2026, particularly if Arizona struggles and the franchise wants to see what they have in the rookie before making a decision on the ever-looming 2027 quarterback class.

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